Under a provision in MLB’s collective bargaining agreement, the 12 teams that make the postseason share in revenues through a pool system based on a percentage of the gate. The total was well in excess of $128 million, a bonus for the players and others in the postseason.
The Los Angeles Dodgers can brag that they’re the first team since the 1998-2000 New York Yankees to win back-to-back World Series Championships. They also got the top postseason bonus.
The “postseason shares” system sees a system in which a pool of revenues based off the gate is distributed to the teams that made the playoffs. This money is awarded to the players, and is different than the revenues that the clubs make.
How The Postseason Players’ Pool Is Created
The system devised between the owners and players as part of the CBA is as follows:
60% of the total gate receipts from the first 4 World Series games;
60% of the total gate receipts from the first 4 games of each League Championship Series;
60% of the total gate receipts from the first 3 games of each Division Series; and
60% of the total gate receipts from the first 2 games of each Wild Card Series after deducting the traveling expenses of the visiting Clubs (up to a maximum of $100,000 per Club per game) from the total gate.
Based on the system, the total pool this year was $128,186,164.98, just shy of the record $129.1 million pool in 2024.
How The Postseason Players’ Pool Is Split
It would make sense that the World Series Champion would garner the most out of the postseason pool, with smaller percentages the further down you go. In cases where two or more teams are within a category, the total percentage is split. For example, the LCS losers, the Mariners and Brewers, each collect 12% of the 24% pool.
World Series Winner – Dodgers (36%)
World Series Loser – Toronto Blue Jays (24%)
League Championship Series Losers – Seattle Mariners, Milwaukee Brewers (24%)
Division Series Losers – New York Yankees, Detroit Tigers, Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs (13%)
Wild Card Series Losers – Boston Red Sox, Cleveland Guardians, San Diego Padres, Cincinnati Reds (3%)
The Dodgers’ total pool was $46,147,019.39. The Blue Jays’ total pool was $30,764,679.60 for advancing to the World Series, but coming up just short of winning it.
How Shares Are Split
The teams have discretion as to how the pool is split. Players, coaches, trainers, and even some front office staff receive shares, with full shares going to more senior personnel and partial shares to others, depending on team rules.
For the Dodgers, they awarded 82 full shares, 12.5 partial shares, and $340,000 in cash awards. A full share was valued at $484,747.57 compared to $477,440.70 in 2024.
For the Blue Jays, they awarded 70 full shares, 15.44 partial shares, and $508,500 in cash awards. A full share was valued at $354,118.39.
Below shows the postseason shares payout to all 12 teams that made the playoffs in 2025. Based on the collective bargaining agreement, distribution of the Players’ pool was made to the Players within 30 days after the completion of the World Series, which ended on November 1st.