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The New York Yankees have been valued at US$7.13 billion, once again placing them top of Sportico’s latest list of Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise valuations.
Confirmed:
- The average MLB franchise is now worth US$2.36 billion, an increase of two per cent on last year, with all 30 teams collectively worth more than US$70 billion
- The Yankees are considerably ahead of the Los Angeles Dodgers, who came second in the list with a valuation of US$5.24 billion, followed by the Boston Red Sox at US$5.21 billion
- The Chicago Cubs placed fourth with a value of US$4.69 billion, with the San Francisco Giants rounding out the top five at US$3.81 billion
- Ranked last on the list were the Miami Marlins with a value of US$1.07 billion
- The Atlanta Braves (placed seventh at US$2.75 billion) and Houston Astros (ranked eighth at US$2.58 billion) both saw the biggest YoY growth of eight per cent
- Meanwhile, the Colorado Rockies (ranked 23rd at US$1.37 billion) saw the biggest decline in YoY value at four per cent
Context:
The sizeable gap between the Yankees and second-placed Dodgers indicates that the Yankees remain the biggest commercial draw in the league. Their revenue last year was US$698 million, marking an increase of US$167 million from 12 months earlier. No other franchise came close in terms of revenue growth, with the Dodgers increasing their income by US$65 million in comparison.
The list also indicates a growing divide between the highest and lowest valued teams, with several franchises still earning considerably less than those at the top. The Oakland Athletics’ revenue for 2022, the lowest in the league, was US$205 million, equal to less than a third of the Yankees’ income.
Coming next:
The 2023 MLB season starts this month, with several teams at risk of missing out on crucial payments for their local broadcast rights from the financially-stricken Diamond Sports Group, which operates the 19 Bally Sports regional sports networks (RSNs).
