Previous season link (reference: USA Today): https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/2024/04/03/mlb-team-payrolls-2024-highest-lowest-mets/73139425007/
Live link for 2025 payroll: https://www.spotrac.com/mlb/payroll/_/year/2025/sort/cap_active/dir/desc
I will revise the USA Today to match what is reported as I've used that metric to resolve markets from 2023 and 2024. (Have I seriously been doing this nearly two years?!)
Anyway, yeah. Resolves YES for any MLB team from the lower half (#16 through #30) winning the 2025 World Series.
Resolves NO if any team (#1 through #15) wins the World Series.
Resolves N/A for any issues that result in the World Series not played or completed.
Update 2025-06-01 (PST) (AI summary of creator comment): The creator has confirmed that active payroll data from the provided Spotrac link will be used to determine team rankings for this market.
there's total payroll and active payroll columns in your link, which will you be using, and when?
@Tripping that’s a good question. I’ll take a look after work today, because I am not sure if the deferred payroll is rolled into total or active or neither.
My first thought is active only because Bobby Bonilla exists, but also, I have to see if the differences between the two are marginal or substantial enough to really make a difference either way.
Tentatively, I’m going to say active payroll. Will confirm by tomorrow.