The Savannah Bananas may be a polarizing enterprise, but there is no doubt they know how to fill seats. As long as the Bananas are selling out baseball stadiums and football stadiums alike, the revenue is going to keep coming in. How much of it goes to the players?
The Bananas can’t operate exactly like a professional baseball team, but there is some skill required to play the game in between the theatrics. Many of the players on the Bananas or their Banana Ball rivals are former players, whether at the college or minor-league levels.
Suiting up in yellow is one way for players to make a name for themselves if their professional careers don’t pan out, but does it pay well enough to be a career in itself?
Here’s what you need to know about Savannah Bananas player salaries and more.
MORE: 2025 Savannah Bananas TV schedule
Do Savannah Bananas players get paid?
Savannah Bananas players do get paid, and they are reportedly getting paid more as the appeal of Banana Ball becomes more widespread.
According to Forbes, Bananas players are paid enough money to serve as a living wage, so players today don’t necessarily have to work another job with Banana Ball skyrocketing in popularity.
How much do Savannah Bananas players make?
The exact figures made by Savannah Bananas players are unknown, but salaries appear to be on the rise.
According to CBS News, Bananas players receive “full-year contracts” and make “significantly more than most minor leaguers.” The report adds that Bananas player salaries have risen every year.
Now, that doesn’t mean Bananas players are breaking the bank with their paychecks. Minor-leaguers notoriously aren’t paid very well, with minimum salaries ranging between $20,000-$37,000 in 2025, depending on the level. If Bananas players are indeed paid “significantly more” than that, it could be enough to earn a living — but perhaps not enough to make playing Banana Ball anything that rivals even a minimum MLB rookie salary.
A June feature on the Bananas by Forbes reiterated that players are well-paid. “While no one — not the players nor the owners — would divulge what each gets paid, it was intimated that the players make considerably more than typical minor league salaries, but well below big league money,” Forbes reported.
The report also states that what players are paid is “without question” a living wage and includes full health benefits.
MORE: How to buy Savannah Bananas tickets
Savannah Bananas average player salary
Despite some figures floating around from dubious sources, Savannah Bananas players have not revealed what they get paid, though they confirmed to Forbes and CBS News that they receive considerably more than the typical minor-league salary that hovers below (and, in many cases, well below) $50,000.
Going forward, the sky might be the limit for the Bananas and their players. With high ticket demands and TV deals, more money is likely to flow in — and the players should continue to benefit from that exposure in some form.
For now, the Bananas are keeping salaries close to the vest and letting families enjoy the action without thinking about the financials behind it.
Highest-paid Savannah Bananas players
The exact salaries for each Bananas player are not known. In fact, it isn’t known whether all players on the roster receive the same salary or are offered different types of contracts. Players are paid all year round, however, unlike in professional baseball.
As of 2025, the Bananas have 25 players on their roster. None have played in the major leagues, though former MLB players have made guest appearances for the team. Here is a complete look at the Bananas’ roster.
How much are the Savannah Bananas worth?
The exact value of the Savannah Bananas franchise is unknown, but as of 2023, owner Jesse Cole said the team was bringing in $10 million in annual ticket revenue.
In all likelihood, that figure has risen in the years since. The Bananas are now filling football stadiums on their American tours, and TV interest is beginning to grow as well with ESPN starting to broadcast some of the team’s games. Banana Ball has also started to add more teams, with plans for future additions as well.
