ST. LOUIS (KMOX) - Forbes has released its annual list of the most valuable franchises in Major League Baseball and the St. Louis Cardinals find themselves in a familiar spot among the richest teams.
At No. 7, the Cardinals are valued at $2.245 billion – just behind the New York Mets and in front of the Philadelphia Phillies. The report is based on revenue earned from ticket sales and TV deals, player salaries, operating costs, and a bunch of other factors.
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Forbes explains, despite no fans in the stands for 2020, all but one MLB team (Tampa Bay Rays) saw at least a 1% increase in value.
"All told, MLB’s 30 teams lost $1.8 billion (in the sense of earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) versus a profit of $1.5 billion in 2019. Revenue fell 65%, to $3.66 billon," Forbes reports.
This year, the New York Yankees are No. 1 yet again. The Bronx Bombers have done this list for 24 years, and they've topped it EVERY YEAR.
The 10 most valuable baseball franchises are:
1. New York Yankees, $5.3 billion
2. Los Angeles Dodgers, $3.6 billion
3. Boston Red Sox, $3.5 billion
4. Chicago Cubs, $3.4 billion
5. San Francisco Giants, $3.2 billion
6. New York Mets, $2.4 billion
7. St. Louis Cardinals, $2.2 billion
8. Philadelphia Phillies, $2.05 billion
9. Los Angeles Angels, $2.02 billion
10. Washing Nationals, $1.9 billion
And the five least valuable are:
1. Miami Marlins, $990 million (The only team that hasn't cracked a billion)
2. Tampa Bay Rays, $1.055 billion
3. Kansas City Royals, $1.06 billion
4. Cincinnati Reds, $1.09 billion
5. Oakland Athletics, $1.1 billion
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