What is Cole Hamels’s Net Worth and Salary?
Cole Hamels is a former MLB player with a net worth of $105 million. He played for the Philadelphia Phillies, winning the World Series in 2008 and being named MVP. He also played for the Texas Rangers, Chicago Cubs, and briefly for the Atlanta Braves.
At the peak of his career, he was one of the highest-paid players in baseball and one of the highest-paid athletes in the world, earning a salary that routinely topped $22+ million. In 2021, he signed a 1-year, $1 million contract with the Dodgers that would have paid $200k per start, but he injured himself just 12 days into the season. The contract was fully guaranteed, so he earned $1 million essentially for no work.
Cole Hamels’ Earnings
Cole Hamels has earned $210 million in salary throughout his career, in addition to tens of millions of dollars from endorsements.
Cole Hamels’ Early Life and Athletic Talent
Cole Hamels was born in San Diego, California in 1983 and grew up as the eldest of three siblings. He attended Meadowbrook Middle School before moving on to Rancho Bernardo High School, where he excelled both academically and athletically. Hamels caught the attention of scouts for his impressive fastball, which reached up to 94 miles per hour.
Hamels’ Early Career
Cole Hamels was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in the first round of the 2002 MLB draft straight out of high school. He began his professional playing career the following year in the minors, starting with the Class A Lakewood BlueClaws.
Hamels quickly moved up to the Clearwater Threshers of the Class A-Advanced Florida State League, where he won the Paul Owens Award for being the best pitcher in the Phillies’ minor league system. However, injuries, including a broken pitching hand from a bar fight, limited his playing time over the next two seasons.
After recovering, Hamels returned to Clearwater before being promoted to the Class AA Reading Phillies. Midway through the 2006 season, he was promoted again to the Class AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons.
Cole Hamels’ Career Highlights
In 2006, Hamels made his debut with the Phillies and pitched five scoreless innings in his first game. He finished his rookie season with a 9-8 record and 145 strikeouts.
The following year, Hamels had an impressive season, marking his first major league complete game. He finished with a 15-5 record and 177 strikeouts, leading the Phillies to their first playoff appearance in 14 years.
Hamels had his greatest season in 2008, posting his first career complete game shutout in May. He finished with a 14-10 record and 196 strikeouts, securing the Phillies a spot in the NLDS. The team went on to win the World Series, with Hamels being named the MVP.
Cole Hamels’ Career Highlights
Cole Hamels started the 2009 season with injuries but bounced back to record two complete game shutouts. The Philadelphia Phillies made it to the NLCS for the third consecutive season but lost to the New York Yankees in the World Series. In 2010, Hamels helped the Phillies advance to the NLCS with a complete game shutout in Game 3 against the Cincinnati Reds, but they lost to the San Francisco Giants. In 2011, the Phillies finished the regular season with the best record in the league but fell to the St. Louis Cardinals in the NLDS.
In 2012, Hamels had an up-and-down season marked by his first career home run and a five-game suspension for intentionally hitting Bryce Harper with a pitch. He finished the season with career highs in wins and strikeouts. Hamels had an inferior 2013 but bounced back in 2014 to pitch six innings of a combined no-hitter against the Atlanta Braves. He recorded another no-hitter in 2015 against the Chicago Cubs in what would be his final start for the Phillies.
Cole Hamels’ Career Highlights
In 2015, Cole Hamels was traded to the Texas Rangers during the season, helping lead the team to the AL West title. However, they fell to the Toronto Blue Jays in the ALDS. The following year, Hamels achieved his 2,000th career strikeout, but had a less favorable season in 2017 due to injury. In 2018, his final season with the Rangers, Hamels went 5-9 in 20 starts.
Cole Hamels’ Time with the Chicago Cubs
Cole Hamels was traded to the Chicago Cubs midway through the 2018 season. In August of that year, he had a memorable moment with a complete game against the Reds. For his final season as a Cub in 2019, Hamels went 7-7 in 27 starts.
Cole Hamels’ Recent Career with Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Dodgers
As a free agent, Hamels signed with the Atlanta Braves in late 2019. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he didn’t play for the team until the summer of 2020.
Hamels ultimately only made one start during the shortened season. In August of 2021, he signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers, but failed to play for the team due to injury.
Personal Life and Philanthropy
Cole Hamels married reality television star Heidi Strobel in 2006 and they have four children together, including an adopted daughter from Ethiopia. In 2009, they founded a foundation to support childhood programs in Philadelphia and Africa.
In 2017, the couple donated their $9.4 million mansion in Branson, Missouri to the Christian charity Camp Barnabas.
