Crazy chart shows just how much the salaries for MLB's top players have exploded in the last 30 years

Clayton Kershaw of the Los Angeles Dodgers will make $30 million this year, the first Major League Baseball player to be paid at least $30 million in a season since 2011 when Alex Rodriguez took home $32 million with the New York Yankees. But it wasn't that long ago when the highest-paid players in baseball were making a lot less.

Just 15 years ago, in 2000, the highest-paid player in MLB (Kevin Brown) was making $15.7 million, or slightly more than half of what Kershaw is making this year. Nine years before that, the largest salary in baseball was just $3.8 million.

Here is a look at how the highest salary in baseball has changed from year-to-year according to Baseball-Reference.com. The full list of players can be seen below.

MLB Salaries Chart

(BusinessInsider.com)

Year-by-year highest-paid player:

• 1985 (Mike Schmidt), $2.1 million

• 1986 (George Foster), $2.8 million

• 1987 (Mike Schmidt), $2.1 million

• 1988 (Ozzie Smith), $2.3 million

• 1989 (Orel Hershiser), $2.8 million

• 1990 (Robin Yount), $3.2 million

• 1991 (Daryl Strawberry), $3.8 million

• 1992 (Bobby Bonilla), $6.1 million

• 1993 (Bobby Bonilla), $6.2 million

• 1994 (Bobby Bonilla), $6.3 million

• 1995 (Cecil Fielder), $9.2 million

• 1996 (Cecil Fielder), $9.2 million

• 1997 (Albert Belle), $10.0 million

• 1998 (Gary Sheffield), $14.9 million

• 1999 (Albert Belle), $11.9 million

• 2000 (Kevin Brown), $15.7 million

• 2001 (Alex Rodriguez), $22.0 million

• 2002 (Alex Rodriguez), $22.0 million

• 2003 (Alex Rodriguez), $22.0 million

• 2004 (Manny Ramirez), $22.5 million

• 2005 (Alex Rodriguez), $26.0 million

• 2006 (Alex Rodriguez), $21.7 million

• 2007 (Jason Giambi), $23.4 million

• 2008 (Alex Rodriguez), $28.0 million

• 2009 (Alex Rodriguez), $33.0 million

• 2010 (Alex Rodriguez), $33.0 million

• 2011 (Alex Rodriguez), $32.0 million

• 2012 (Alex Rodriguez), $29.0 million

• 2013 (Alex Rodriguez), $28.0 million

• 2014 (R.Howard/C.Lee), $25.0 million

• 2015 (Clayton Kershaw), $30.0 million

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