Top 10 Most Valuable MLB Franchises
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1. New York Yankees ($5 Billion)
Far and away the most valuable team in the major leagues is the New York Yankees. The Yankees are valued at $5 billion dollars and have grown the most, 9%, of any teams in the league. Not surprisingly, they also generate the most revenue in the league at $683 million dollars. They are the biggest team in the biggest market in the country so it’s no surprise to see the Yankees at the top of our list by this wide of a margin.
2. Los Angeles Dodgers ($3.4 Billion)
To find the #2 team on our list we will go across the country to find the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Dodgers are worth $3.4 billion after being bought in 2012 for $2 billion dollars. LA set an attendance record in 2019 and have been constantly competing over the last handful of seasons. According to Forbes, the LA market Is worth $1.6 billion towards the Dodgers valuation. They come in at #2 in revenue generated behind the Yankees at $556 million dollars this past year.
3. Boston Red Sox ($3.3 Billion)
The Red Sox are trending the wrong way on the field but that doesn’t make their team any less valuable. The Red Sox are one of the most well-known franchises in the major leagues and that will never change. They still grew 3% over the past year which is around league average and the Boston area is one of the biggest metro areas for baseball. While the Red Sox go into rebuilding mode we will also see their player expenses drop down from one of the highest down to a middle-tier team which will allow for more flexibility.
4. Chicago Cubs ($3.2 Billion)
The Cubs were purchased by the Ricketts family in 2009 for $700 million and just over a decade, their value has already jumped to $3.2 billion dollars. In 2020 the Cubs are launching their own regional sports network which should drive more revenue to the club and increase it’s value even more. The Cubs are a mainstay in the Chicago market that is one of the biggest in the country.
5. San Francisco Giants ($3.1 Billion)
The Giants have been majority-owned by the Johnson family since 1993 and this past year they got a new head man, Greg Johnson, who is now the controlling owner and son of original majority owner Charles Johnson. Johnson is the CEO of Franklin Templeton which was also started in his family. The Giants also secured a deal with Fanatics which operates the team store and is one of the biggest sports apparel companies in the country. The Giants finished 2019 with $452 million dollars in revenue.
6. New York Mets ($2.4 Billion)
The 2nd most popular team in New York, the Mets, come in at number 6 on our list. The Mets were in the process of being sold before it fell through in February and they still remain on the market. The original deal was for $2.6 billion dollars but is unclear what they will get in the next deal. The Mets current owners also own 65% of SportsNet New York, which is the network that televises Mets games. The Mets made be #2 in New York behind the Yankees but they can both be successful in the same city.
7. St. Louis Cardinals ($2.2 Billion)
The St. Louis Cardinals don’t play in a huge market like LA or New York but they are still one of the most recognizable MLB teams. St. Louis is also known around the country as one of the best baseball cities in America. They make our list with a valuation of $2.2 billion dollars. The Cardinals constantly fill up their stadium, #2 in attendance, and they have the highest television ratings, in their local market, of all the teams in the league. Despite being a small market team, the Cardinals have proven doubters wrong and increased their value by consistently supplying their fans with a good product.
8. Philadelphia Phillies ($2 Billion)
The Phillies have grown 8% in the past year, which is one of the biggest increases in the league. Philadelphia signed Bryce Harper to a massive $330 million dollar deal and that helped raise attendance by 23%. The Phillies stadium isn’t the best only providing $356 million in value according to Forbes. They are paying big money for players and hopefully for them that will lead to increased success, which itself adds revenue. It wouldn’t be surprising to see the Phillies climb up this list in the coming years.
9. Los Angeles Angels ($1.975 Billion)
The Angels have been held down by bad player contracts but that is starting to go away and they are reinvesting in players like Anthony Rendon and Mike Trout, who is the best player in the league. There has some been movement with the stadium being sold by the city to a company owned by Angels owner Arte Moreno. This move would allow the Angels to explore building a new team-funded stadium to replace the 53-year-old current stadium, but we know how tough it is to get a stadium deal done in California.
10. Washington Nationals ($1.9 Billion)
The Washington Nationals went on a run in 2019 and won their first World Series. The Nationals increased their revenue up to $370 million dollars with the extra playoff games after seeing a dip during the regular season. The Washington area is thirsty for some winning professional teams and it looks like the Nationals may be that franchise who brings it to them the next couple of years. The Lerner family should be happy about what they are seeing in the future for their club.











