FAQ

The Major League Baseball Players Association became a labor union in 1966. Marvin Miller, an economist with the United Steelworkers of America, was chosen by Players to be the Association's first full-time executive director.

The MLBPA is the collective bargaining representative for all current Major League and North American Minor League Baseball Players, negotiating the terms and conditions with Major League Baseball and ensuring those rights are upheld. The Association works closely with MLB in ensuring that the playing conditions for all games involving Major League Players, whether the games are played in MLB stadiums or elsewhere, including internationally, meet proper safety guidelines. The Association also serves as the group licensing agent on behalf of the Players through its business arm MLB Players, Inc.

The MLBPA represents two separate bargaining units: (1) all Major League Baseball Players and (2) domestic and Canadian Minor League Baseball Players. Major League Players negotiated their first Collective Bargaining Agreement in 1968. Minor League Players organized in 2022 and were in negotiations on a foundational CBA with the league.

The Players negotiated their first-ever Collective Bargaining Agreement in 1968, giving the players the right to have an independent arbitrator from outside Major League Baseball decide their grievances with the owners.

All Players, managers, a number of uniformed coaches and trainers are eligible for membership in the Association and accrue certain benefits. For purposes of collective bargaining, the Association represents around 1,200 Major League Players, or the number of Players on each club's 40-man roster, in addition to any Players on the Injured List. Additionally, the Association represents around 5,500 Minor League Players, or the number of Players on MLB-affiliated Rookie, Short-Season, Low-A, High-A, AA, and AAA teams who are not on the 40-man roster.

The Executive Board consists of the 30 player reps, one representing each club, plus the eight-member Executive Subcommittee, a leadership group comprised of the Players Association’s top elected officers. The current MLBPA Representatives are Francisco Lindor and Marcus Semien; the Alternate MLBPA Representatives are Jack Flaherty and Lance McCullers Jr.; the Pension Committee Representatives are Ian Happ and Austin Slater; and the Alternate Pension Committee Representatives are Lucas Giolito and Brent Suter.

The Members on each Major League club elect by secret ballot a Club Player Representative and an Alternate Player Representative. Each Club Representative serves on the Executive Board and is responsible for meeting regularly with the players on his Club and representing them in the resolution of issues at the Club level.

The average salary from opening day of 2022 was $4.47 million.

The minimum salary for the 2023 season is $720,000 at the Major League level, rising to $780,00 in 2026. For Major League contracts that include a split minor league salary, the 2023 split minimum minor league salaries is $117,400 for players signing a second or subsequent Major League contract and $58,800 for players signing a first Major League contract.

A player with three or more years of service, but less than six years, may file for salary arbitration. In addition, a player is classified as a "Super Two" and eligible for salary arbitration if he has at least two (but less than three) years of Major League service, accumulated at least 86 days of service during the immediately preceding season and ranks in the top 22 percent (increased from 17 percent in previous agreements) in total service in the two-plus years’ service class of Players.

A player with six or more years of Major League service who has not executed a contract for the next season is eligible to become a free agent.

The CBA expires on Dec. 1, 2026.

There have been five strikes (1972, 1980, 1981, 1985, and 1994-95) and the owners have locked out the players four times (1973, 1976, 1990, and 2021-2022).

Companies seeking to use the names or likenesses of more than two Major League Baseball players in connection with a commercial product, product line or promotion must sign a licensing agreement with MLB Players, Inc.. The license grants the use of the players' names and/or likenesses only and not the use of any MLB team logos or marks. Examples of products licensed by the MLBPA include trading cards, video games, T-shirts, caps, a wide variety of other products such as pennants, posters, pins, action figures and advertising campaigns for a wide variety of products and services. For more information: MLB Players, Inc.

The Players Trust is a 501 (c) 3 not-for-profit foundation created by the players in 1996 to assist charities around the world. The Trust is funded through player and public donations, a percentage of licensing revenue and through revenue produced from Association special events.

To represent or advise a player in negotiating the terms of a Major League contract, an agent must first be certified by the Major League Baseball Players Association. Individuals who recruit players on behalf of agents, or who provide client maintenance services to players on behalf of certified agents, also must have MLBPA certification. To become certified by the MLBPA, a prospective agent, recruiter or service provider must first complete an online application at https://registration.mlbpa.org, pay a $2,000 application fee, pass a background investigation, pass a written exam, and be designated by a Major League Player as his representative, or by a certified agent as a recruiter or service provider. For more information about the application process and to get started with an application please go to https://registration.mlbpa.org.

The Association has more than 400 certified agents on record.

Just as the Association endorses a free market system for its players in negotiating contracts with Club owners, the agent fee is negotiated freely between the player and his agent. The only stipulation is that an agent may not charge a fee unless the player's salary negotiated exceeds the Major League minimum and any fee charged may not, when subtracted from the salary negotiated, produce a net salary to the player below or equal to the minimum salary. Bonuses constitute salary only if earned. The fee limitation shall be prorated based on the applicable Major League or Minor League minimum salary rate for a Player who is paid at a Major League salary rate for part of the season and at a Minor League salary rate for part of the season. These agent fee limitations do not apply if the Player involved was a professional free agent at the time the Agent negotiated the Player's Uniform Player's Contract.

The PA launched Bigleaguers.com at the All-Star Game in Cleveland in July 1997. The original Bigleaguers.com featured interactive tools that allowed the players to exchange emails with fans and post text and photographs. It became a popular baseball destination in the early days of the Web as players gave daily online chats with fans, Monday through Friday, and provided unique player-generated content.

For internships and career opportunities: MLBPA Careers & Internships

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