Players’ average salary drops from two seasons ago

The average major league salary dropped 4.8% to just under $4.17 million on opening day from the start of the previous full season in 2019.

The average has fallen 6.4% since the start of the 2017 season, when it peaked at $4.45 million, according to a study of major league contracts by The Associated Press.

The median salary — the point at which an equal number of players are above and below — is $1.15 million, down 18% from $1.4 million two years ago and a drop of 30% from the $1.65 million record high at the start of 2015.

Of 902 players on opening-day rosters, 417 (62%) had salaries under $1 million, including 316 (35%) under $600,000.

Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer is the highest-paid player in 2021 at $38 million. Angels outfielder Mike Trout is second at $37.1 million, followed by Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole ($36 million) and St. Louis third baseman Nolan Arenado ($35 million).

The Dodgers topped the majors at $241 million, the highest total since they set the record at $270 million at the start of the 2015 season. NATIONALS 1, DIAMONDBACKS 0 >> Kyle Schwarber hit a game-ending homer in the ninth inning to lift Washington over Arizona.

Max Scherzer struck out the side in the seventh while passing Cy Young to move into 22nd place on baseball’s strikeout list. He finished with 10 on the day, giving him 2,808 for his career. He allowed two singles in seven innings. PHILLIES 9, CARDINALS 2 >> Zach Eflin tossed seven-plus solid innings, J.T. Realmuto homered and drove in two runs and host Philadelphia Phillies scored six times in the second inning on its way to a win over St. Louis.

Jean Segura had three hits while Andrew McCutchen added two hits and three RBIs for the Phillies, who snapped a three-game skid.