Which team is the highest-valued MLB franchise in 2025?
CNBC unveiled the full list of this year’s MLB franchise valuations, sorting team worth, 2024 revenue and more. While some teams are in expected spots, others are more surprising.
The San Diego Padres just missed out on the top 15 franchises in the list. At No. 16, San Diego is worth $2.1 billion, a slight edge over the No. 17-ranked Washington Nationals.
San Diego is owned by the Seidler family, who bought the team in 2012 for $600 million. The Padres have yet to win the World Series in team history, most recently losing to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLDS last year.
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It was still a strong 2024, though, as San Diego collected $468 million in revenue -- more than two teams in the top 10. Right above San Diego is the Chicago White Sox, valued at $2.15 billion.
The New York Yankees are No. 1 on CNBC’s list. Owned by the Steinbrenner family, New York tops the ranking with a value of $8 billion, a lead of over $2 billion from the next highest team.
And how much did the Steinbrenner family pay for the Yankees when they took over in 1973? Just $8.8 million. The team collected $705 million in revenue last season alone.
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Coming second after the Yankees is the Dodgers, the reigning league champions. Guggenheim Baseball Management took over in 2012, paying $2 billion for the franchise. The big market is now worth $5.8 billion and continues to soar following the acquisition of Shohei Ohtani, among other major stars.
In third is the Boston Red Sox, owned by John Henry and Thomas Werner. The pair bought the team for $380 million in 2022, and now the franchise is worth $4.7 billion.
Rounding out the top five are the Chicago Cubs ($4.45 billion) and San Francisco Giants ($3.8 billion).
Flipping over to the bottom five, it’s a group of mostly small-market franchises – except for one surprise. Every team is valued at least above $1 billion, which is also the case in the NHL.
In 26th is the Cincinnati Reds, worth $1.5 billion. The Reds are followed by the Pittsburgh Pirates ($1.47 billion), Kansas City Royals ($1.45 billion) and Tampa Bay Rays ($1.4 billion).
Last is the Miami Marlins, who are valued at $1.2 billion. Despite being in a sizable market, Bruce Sherman, an American businessman, bought the team in 2017 for the same exact price – $1.2 billion – but has not seen a change in value.
Miami brought in just $296 million in revenue last season, going 62-100 on the field. Only the Athletics ($275 million), now temporarily based in Sacramento ahead of a planned Las Vegas move, ranked lower in revenue.
