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Forbes: Yankees remain baseball's most valuable team

cassandra negley
WNBA and women's college basketball reporter

The New York Yankees are the most valuable team in Major League Baseball, according to Forbes’ list of team values released Wednesday.

If there’s déjà vu you’re feeling, it’s because the Yankees have sat atop the rankings every year Forbes has released them. It’s the 22nd consecutive year the team has ranked above its peers.

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The Yankees are worth $4.6 billion, per Forbes, an increase of 15 percent over last year’s worth. They had the most local revenue of all teams at $712 million last year. According to Forbes, it’s more than the bottom six teams in revenue combined.

Their margin over the second-place Los Angeles Dodgers is widening as well. The Dodgers are worth an estimated $3.3 billion this year, an increase of 10 percent over their $3 billion value in 2018. They lead the league in operating income at $95 million.

And to really drive home the difference between top and bottom, the Yankees are worth more than quadruple the last-place team on the Forbes list. The Miami Marlins are worth $1 billion, lowest in the league.

New York Yankees' Luke Voit (45) celebrates his three-run home run with Gary Sanchez, right, during the ninth inning of the team's baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles, Thursday, April 4, 2019, in Baltimore. The Yankees won 8-4. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
The New York Yankees are the most valuable team in Major League Baseball, according to Forbes. (AP Photo)

There are a total five teams worth more than $3 billion. The reigning World Series champion Boston Red Sox, who had baseball’s highest payroll in 2018, are worth $3.2 billion. The Chicago Cubs, fresh off an offseason of odd decisions, are worth $3.1 billion. And the San Francisco Giants, who brought in the most revenue per fan at $183 per Forbes, are worth $3 billion. (The Milwaukee Brewers are second at $111 per fan.)

The average worth of teams is $1.78 billion, per Forbes, an increase of 8 percent over the 2018 numbers. The list, via Forbes:

  1. New York Yankees, $4.6B

  2. Los Angeles Dodgers, $3.3B

  3. Boston Red Sox, $3.2B

  4. Chicago Cubs, $3.1B

  5. San Francisco Giants, $3B

  6. New York Mets, $2.3B

  7. St. Louis Cardinals, $2.1B

  8. Los Angeles Angels, $1.9B

  9. Philadelphia Phillies, $1.85B

  10. Houston Astros, $1.775B

  11. Washington Nationals, $1.75B

  12. Atlanta Braves, $1.7B

  13. Texas Rangers, $1.65B

  14. Chicago White Sox, $1.6B

  15. Seattle Mariners, $1.575B

  16. Toronto Blue Jays, $1.5B

  17. San Diego Padres, $1.35B

  18. Arizona Diamondbacks, $1.29B

  19. Baltimore Orioles, $1.28B

  20. Pittsburgh Pirates, $1.275B

  21. Detroit Tigers, $1.25B

  22. Colorado Rockies, $1.225B

  23. Minnesota Twins, $1.2B

  24. Milwaukee Brewers, $1.175B

  25. Cleveland Indians, $1.15B

  26. Oakland Athletics, $1.1B

  27. Cincinnati Reds, $1.05B

  28. Kansas City Royals, $1.025B

  29. Tampa Bay Rays, $1.01B

  30. Miami Marlins, $1B

The Yankees trail behind the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys in the overall most valuable sports franchise rankings. The Cowboys are No. 1 at $5 billion.

The New York Knicks are the most valuable in the NBA, becoming the first team in the association to surpass $4 billion. The Knicks sit at an even $4 billion in the latest Forbes rankings, out in February, despite a sixth-consecutive losing season.

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