Jeter & ARod still most marketable

An interesting article about who in the MLB is "most marketable". No major surprises here, but what was surprising was the relative small amounts these "most marketable" earn annually. I thought it was low; I expected higher, especially given ARod and Jeter work and live in NYC.

The list, with a highlight or two:

1. Derek Jeter: "...his $7 million annually in endorsements is a pittance in sports. The smooth shortstop plays for the historic Yankees franchise, is well-known nationally for his World Series appearances, yet he earns the same amount as Denver bad-boy guard Allan Iverson."


2. Alex Rodriguez: "Yet he and teammate Jeter split the big New York market, hurting both in the endorsement world. The best is yet to come: His expected run at Barry Bonds’ home run mark around the 2013 season will launch him into the marketing stratosphere."


3. Ryan Howard: "Likable and only 28, the one-time National League Rookie of the Year is on the road to a top-notch endorsement career."


4. Ichiro Suzuki: "...he’s the top-ranked baseball player on Sports Illustrated’s International 20, bringing in an estimated $24 million in salary and endorsements last year." (Note: Not sure what "salary" they are referring to since ARod, for example, has an annual salary higher than that alone...)


5. David Ortiz: "...the 32-year-old has a few more years to capitalize on his engaging personality."


6. David Wright: "Topps Cards and VitaminWater (where he made a stock killing when the company was taken over last year) are among his endorsement pacts. Though his fielding may be suspect (64 errors in three years), the 25-year-old’s marketing future is not."


7. Albert Pujols: "Sports Illustrated estimated $3.5 million in endorsements for the 28-year-old last season..."


8. Kosuke Fukudome: "Entering his first major league season, the superstar from Japan is already featured in Chicago Cubs ad campaigns, though he’s never set foot in Wrigley Field for a game."

Not surprised about much here, though seeing rookie Fukudome here was the lone surprise. I know he'll be in line to mine the Japanese market like Ichiro before him, but I would have guessed that the more established Hideki Matsui would have been on this list prior to Fukudome. Then again, the bloom is gone from that flower and Fukudome's the new kid in town so maybe that's the reason.