Many people say baseball is a dying sport, yet the valuation of the franchises continues to climb.
During the booming years of the early 20th century, the ball game was unanimously considered the most popular sport in the United States.
It was around the 1960s that football moved ahead of baseball in terms of popularity and revenue and still reigns atop the most popular sports in America.
The revenue of the NFL in 2021 was $17.19 billion, while MLB made somewhere around $9.56 billion. According to Forbes, in 2022, the MLB saw revenues of between $10.8-$10.9 billion before any expenses.
Regardless of the revenue generated, the valuation of the teams in all three big leagues, i.e., MLB, NFL & NBA, sit close to each other.
As of this writing, New York Yankees, Dallas Cowboys, and Golden State Warriors are the most valuable teams in the three top leagues in the States MLB, NFL, and NBA, with valuations of $7.1 billion, $7.64 billion and $7.56 billion, respectively.
Quick Over View
| Team | Valuation |
| 10. St. Louis Cardinals | $2.55 Billion |
| 9. Philadelphia Phillies | $2.57 Billion |
| 8. Atlanta Braves | $2.6 Billion |
| 7. Los Angeles Angels | $2.7 Billion |
| 6. New York Mets | $2.9 Billion |
| 5. San Francisco Giants | $3.7 Billion |
| 4. Chicago Cubs | $4.1 Billion |
| 3. Boston Red Sox | $4.5 Billion |
| 2. Los Angeles Dodgers | $4.8 Billion |
| 1. New York Yankees | $7.1 Billion |
MLB Teams With Most Valuation
- St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals is the MLB team that competes as a member team of the National League Central division.
Bill DeWitt Jr. has served as the CEO and Chairman of the team since 1996.
According to Forbes, as of March 2023, the team has an estimated valuation of $2.55 billion with $358 million in revenue and $117 million in players’ expenses.
Its valuation passed the $2 billion mark in 2019.
- Philadelphia Phillies
The ninth most valuable MLB team as of March 2023 is the Philadelphia Phillies, with a total valuation of $2.57 billion.
The majority stakeholder in the team is billionaire businessman John Middleton who paid about $18 million for a 15% stake in 1994, joining the ownership group that included the Buck and Betz families, among others.
John increased his share in the team over the following years, reportedly adding another $51 million on top of his initial $15 million. He currently holds a 48% ownership stake.
The team has generated a revenue of around $398 million this season, according to Forbes. Similarly, it has spent $255 million on players’ salaries.
Its valuation in 2022 was $2.3 billion.
- Atlanta Braves
Owned by the Liberty Media Corporation, MLB team Atlanta Braves, as of March 2023, has a total valuation of $2.60 billion, a massive hike from last year’s valuation of $2.10 billion.
The four-time World Series champion Braves has spent around $206 million in players and generated a revenue of $425 million this season.
Liberty Media, the mass media company that also owns Formula One and SiriusXM, negotiated an asset swap with News Corp. and Time Warner to give it control of the Braves and DirecTV in 2007.
The deal was completed on February 12, 2007, with Time Warner, wherein Liberty would receive a group of craft magazines, around $1 billion in cash, and Braves in exchange for approx. 68.5 million shares of Time Warner stock.
- Los Angeles Angels
The billionaire businessman Arturo Moreno owns the seventh most valuable MLB team Los Angeles Angels, which has a valuation of $2.70 billion as of March 2023. It had a valuation of $2.2 billion a year back.
Moreno acquired the Angels in 2003 for the price of $183.5 million, or around $295.5 million after inflation adjustments.
The team has generated a revenue of $371 million and spent around $196 million in players’ salaries this season.
In August 2022, Moreno announced his plans for the sale of the team and even received a bunch of offers where people were ready to pay more than the record $2.42 billion Steve Cohen spent for the New York Mets in 2020.
In January 2023, Moreno said that he plans to keep the team ending the exploratory process.
- New York Mets
New York Mets, the team with the biggest total payroll of $334.99 million as of 2023, has a valuation of $2.9 billion, a decent hike from the last year’s $2.7 billion valuation.
Since 2020 the team has been owned by hedge fund manager Steve Cohen who bought the team for $2.4 billion.
It has generated $374 million in revenue this season, per Forbes.
The team generated $244 million in revenue at their ballpark last season and a net income of $127 million.
- San Francisco Giants
Next up on our list is San Francisco Giants, a team based in San Francisco with a valuation of $3.7 billion as of March 2023.
The team has generated revenue of $421 million this season, a significant hike from its $384 million in 2022.
Greg Johnson is the Control Person and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Giants. His family has been part of the team’s ownership group since 1993.
The family owns 26% of the team, making it the largest shareholder. This season the Giants have spent over $179 million on players’ salaries.
- Chicago Cubs
With a valuation of $4.1 billion, Chicago Cubs sits at number four on our list of the most valuable MLB teams.
Ricketts family owns the team, which they purchased in 2009. In January 2009, the family bid $900 million for the team and related assets, which was approved in October unanimously by the owners of 29 other MLB teams.
Cubs has spent close to $174 million in players’ salaries this season and has generated a revenue of $451 million.
In 2022, the team generated a revenue of $425 million, ranking fifth on the list of MLB teams that with the most revenue.
- Boston Red Sox
The Boston-based MLB team Boston Red Sox is worth $4.5 billion as of March 2023 and hence at number three of our list.
The team is owned by John W. Henry, who also owns the Premier League’s Liverpool F.C. and NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins via his company Fenway Sports Group Holdings LLC.
Henry and Tom Werner purchased the Red Sox in 2002 for $380 million and delivered the Sox’ first World Series win in 2004 after 86 years.
This season the team has generated a revenue of $513 million, a good elevation from the $479 million it made last season.
- Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers is the team that generated the most revenue in 2022, with $565 million.
Upping their yearly income, the team has generated $581 million in revenue this season.
Similarly, their expenses on players for this season have crossed $262 million.
The team currently has a total valuation of $4.8 billion and is owned by Guggenheim Baseball Management.
GBM acquired the team on March 27, 2012, for a record price of $2.15 billion, the highest ever paid for a professional sports team at the time.
- New York Yankees
The most valuable MLB team period is non-other than New York Yankees, with a total valuation of a whopping $7.1 billion.
The value of the team was $6 billion, and the revenue was $482 million in 2022.
More than a $1 billion hike in team valuation and $175 million in revenue within a year clearly justifies its top spot on the list.
This season the team has spent $262 million on players’ salaries.
The Steinbrenner Family has owned the Yankees since 1973, when George Steinbrenner purchased the franchise.
Conclusion
See, baseball is still alive and thriving.
Yes, unlike football or basketball, the sport is slow in an increasingly impatient society.
And it is no longer “America’s Pastime.”
Nevertheless, the ball game is not going away soon. It has always been a sport most beloved by those living in a Major League city.
Baseball is for patient beings; it is a game of strategy, a game of historical statistics, rather than 20-year-old recruits signing million-dollar bonuses.
