Paul O'Neill Net Worth

What is Paul O'Neill's Net Worth?

Paul O'Neill is a baseball broadcast commentator and former baseball right fielder who has a net worth of $20 million. Paul O'Neill played 17 seasons in MLB from 1985 to 2001. He began his career with the Cincinnati Reds before finishing with the New York Yankees, winning five World Series in total. Among his other career achievements, O'Neill was the AL batting champion in 1994.

Salary, Career Earnings & Contracts

During his major league career, Paul earned a little over $50 million in salary. His earnings increased substantially during the latter part of his career, particularly after joining the Yankees in 1993. His highest annual salaries came during his final seasons with the Yankees, when he was earning around $6-9 million per year.

O'Neill's career earnings were significant but modest compared to today's MLB salaries, as he played before the massive salary inflation of the 2000s and 2010s. His most lucrative contract was likely his final four-year deal with the Yankees worth approximately $19 million.

Early Life and Education

Paul O'Neill was born on February 25, 1963 in Columbus, Ohio. He had an older sister named Molly who was a food writer for the New York Times. As a teenager, O'Neill attended Brookhaven High School, where he played both baseball and basketball.

Cincinnati Reds

In the 1981 MLB draft, O'Neill was selected by the Cincinnati Reds in the fourth round. After spending his early career in the minor leagues, he made his MLB debut for the Reds at the end of the 1985 season, and recorded four hits and one RBI in five games. O'Neill returned to the minors in 1986, playing just three games for the Reds that season. Although he again split his time between the minors and MLB in 1987, he played in many more games for the Reds that season, with 84 appearances. O'Neill finished the season with a .256 batting average, seven home runs, and 28 RBI. He went on to play his first full season with the Reds in 1988, batting .252 with 16 home runs and 73 RBI in 145 games. The next season, O'Neill batted .276 with 15 home runs and 74 RBI in 117 games.

O'Neill remained consistently strong in 1990, batting .270 with 16 home runs and 78 RBI as the Reds finished first in the NL West. He went on to make his postseason debut, helping the Reds advance all the way to the World Series, where they swept the reigning champions the Oakland Athletics in a major upset. It was the first World Series title for the Reds since 1976. O'Neill had another notable season in 1991; responding to Reds manager Lou Piniella's desire to see him hit more home runs, he changed his swing and posted a career-high 28 home runs to go along with a .256 batting average and 91 RBI. He also earned his first All-Star selection that season. In his final season with the Reds in 1992, O'Neill batted .246 with 14 home runs and 66 RBI.

New York Yankees

After the 1992 season, O'Neill was traded to the New York Yankees. In his first season with the team in 1993, he batted .311 with 20 home runs and 75 RBI in 141 games. O'Neill went on to have one of his best career seasons in 1994, despite the MLB strike that truncated the season. In 103 games, he batted .359 with 21 home runs and 83 RBI, earning him the AL batting title and his second career All-Star selection. O'Neill had another strong season in 1995, batting .300 with 22 home runs and 96 RBI as the Yankees returned to the playoffs for the first time since 1981. Ultimately, the team fell to the Seattle Mariners in the ALDS. The Yankees had better fortunes in 1996, winning their first World Series since 1978. In 1997, O'Neill batted .324 with 21 home runs and 117 RBI as the Yankees returned to the playoffs. This time, however, they were eliminated by the Cleveland Indians in the ALDS.

In the 1998 regular season, O'Neill batted .317 with 24 home runs and 116 RBI. He helped the Yankees win a record 114 games that season as they again advanced to the playoffs. After sweeping the Texas Rangers in the ALDS and beating the Indians in the ALCS, the Yankees swept the San Diego Padres in the 1998 World Series. The team won a second consecutive World Series in 1999, this time sweeping the Atlanta Braves. It was the Yankees' 25th World Series title. A 26th World Series title came the next year when the Yankees defeated the New York Mets in five games. O'Neill played one more season with the Yankees in 2001, batting .267 with 21 home runs and 70 RBI. The team made it back to the World Series, but this time lost to the Arizona Diamondbacks. In Game 5, O'Neill received an emotional sendoff from the fans in the stadium.

Post-retirement

After retiring from MLB in 2001, O'Neill became a broadcast analyst and color commentator for the Yankees on the YES Network. He also penned the book "Me and My Dad: A Baseball Memoir." O'Neill released another book in 2022 called "Swing and a Hit: Nine Innings of What Baseball Taught Me," which was co-authored by fellow Yankees broadcast commentator Jack Curry.

Personal Life

With his wife Nevalee, who used to be his neighbor in Columbus, O'Neill has three children.

Real Estate

In May 1992, Paul paid $577,000 for a home in Montgomery, Ohio. In 1997, he paid $1.1 million for a home in Delray Beach, Florida.