Founded in 1953, the Major League Baseball Players Association has played a crucial role in the evolution of America’s pastime. Perhaps most famously, the MLBPA has been a powerful force for player bargaining power. The association led the push for the first-ever collective bargaining agreement (CBA) in 1968, which revolutionized the relationship between players and owners.

As the data below shows, the association’s efforts to increase player salaries have been largely successful, with average player salary growth surpassing league minimums and far and away beating the salary growth of average Americans. And that’s not to mention the intangible benefits the association works for, such as helping hire interpreters for Spanish-speaking players.

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