The New York Yankees may have fallen short in the 2024 World Series, but the franchise stays winning in the money game. The Yankees remain MLB’s most-valuable franchise and are now the first baseball team to be valued at over $8 billion, according to Forbes.
That should not come as a surprise. Despite the Los Angeles Dodgers’ recent dominance — both on the field and on the free-agent market — the Yankees have topped Forbes’ MLB list since it started in 1998. The team saw its value increase ahead of the 2025 MLB season, and are now valued at $8.2 billion, per Forbes. That marks the first time an MLB team has crossed the $8 billion threshold on Forbes’ list. The Dallas Cowboys — $10.1 billion — and the Golden State Warriors — $8.8 billion — are the two other professional sports teams valued over $8 billion.
The Dodgers sit second on Forbes’ MLB list, and are valued at $6.8 billion entering 2025. The Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs and San Francisco Giants round out the top-5 most-valuable franchises in MLB.
The eventual move from Oakland to Las Vegas has the Athletics on the rise. The A’s saw the biggest jump in franchise valuation on Forbes’ list, climbing by 50 percent. The franchise is now valued at $1.8 billion.
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While the team will move to Las Vegas eventually, it will take a few years before its new ballpark will be ready. In the meantime, the Athletics will play at Sutter Health Park in Sacramento. The ballpark is the home of the Sacramento River Cats, a Triple-A affiliate of the Giants. The River Cats will continue to utilize the park over the next few seasons, playing home games when the A’s are on the road.
The Athletics aren’t expected to move to Las Vegas until 2028, when their new stadium will be ready.
Every MLB team saw its valuation either increase or remain stagnant with the exception of the Chicago White Sox. After setting the record for the most losses in MLB history, the White Sox’s franchise value actually decreased by two percent, per Forbes. The team is now valued at $2 billion.
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A number of franchises saw no movement in their valuation, including the St. Louis Cardinals, Seattle Mariners, Colorado Rockies and Tampa Bay Rays.
While the White Sox are the only club to see their franchise value drop, the team still has plenty of value. Long-time owner Jerry Reinsdorf is reportedly open to selling the franchise, and Mat Ishbia, along with his brother Justin Ishbia, have been mentioned as an interested party. The Ishbias own the Phoenix Suns, and were interested in buying the Minnesota Twins before shifting their priorities to the White Sox.
A sale is not expected to happen soon, though if the Ishbias act quickly, they might actually get a discount on the worst team in MLB.
