The top 10 richest MLB teams — the Yankees still lead, but the Dodgers are closing fast
The New York Yankees are the wealthiest team in Major League Baseball, valued at $8.5 billion according to Forbes' 2026 rankings — more than double the average MLB franchise. Yet for the first time in decades, the pinstripes face a genuine challenger: the Los Angeles Dodgers, now valued at $7.8 billion by Forbes, have halved last year's $1.4 billion gap between the historic rivals. The race to baseball's financial summit has never been closer.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Key takeaways
- Top 10 richest MLB teams
- 10. San Diego Padres ($3.1 billion)
- 9. Houston Astros ($3.2 billion)
- 8. Atlanta Braves ($3.35 billion)
- 7. Philadelphia Phillies ($3.4 billion)
- 6. New York Mets ($3.5 billion)
- 5. San Francisco Giants ($4.05 billion)
- 4. Chicago Cubs ($5.0 billion)
- 3. Boston Red Sox ($5.25 billion)
- 2. Los Angeles Dodgers ($7.8 billion)
- 1. New York Yankees ($8.5 billion)
- FAQs
Key takeaways
- The New York Yankees ($8.5B) are the most valuable MLB franchise — a position they've held since Forbes first published the ranking in 1998.
- The Los Angeles Dodgers ($7.8B) are the fastest-closing runner-up, cutting the gap from $2.1B two years ago to just $700M today.
- The top 10 ranges from $8.5B (Yankees) to $3.1B (San Diego Padres), with all ten clubs now worth more than $3 billion.
- MLB's average franchise value has risen 12% year-over-year to $2.9 billion — a new record.
- The richest individual owner in the sport is Mets owner Steve Cohen, with a personal net worth of approximately $23 billion — far exceeding the value of his own franchise.
Top 10 richest MLB teams
Our rankings are based on Forbes' 2026 MLB team valuations, cross-referenced with Sportico's 2026 franchise estimates and CNBC's official MLB valuations. Forbes' team valuations are enterprise values (equity plus net debt) based on historical transactions and the future economics of the sport and each team.
Revenue and operating income are estimated for the 2025 season and are net of revenue sharing, competitive balance taxes, and stadium revenue used for debt service. All figures are in USD.
Rank | Team | Forbes 2026 Value | Owner | 2025 Revenue |
#1 | New York Yankees | $8.5B | Steinbrenner family | $710M |
#2 | Los Angeles Dodgers | $7.8B | Guggenheim Baseball Management | $850M |
#3 | Boston Red Sox | $5.25B | Fenway Sports Group (John Henry) | $552M |
#4 | Chicago Cubs | $5.0B | Ricketts family | $599M |
#5 | San Francisco Giants | $4.05B | Greg Johnson et al. | $477M |
#6 | New York Mets | $3.5B | Steve & Alexandra Cohen | $553M |
#7 | Philadelphia Phillies | $3.4B | Middleton & Buck families | $539M |
#8 | Atlanta Braves | $3.35B | Atlanta Braves Holdings | $524M |
#9 | Houston Astros | $3.2B | Jim Crane | $464M |
#10 | San Diego Padres | $3.1B | Seidler family | $452M |
10. San Diego Padres ($3.1 billion)
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: San Diego Padres
- Founded: 1969
- Ballpark: Petco Park, San Diego, CA
- Owner: Seidler family
- Forbes 2026 value: $3.1 billion
- 2025 revenue: $452 million
- YoY change: +59%
The Padres are the breakout story of the 2026 valuations. The 59% year-over-year jump vaulted San Diego to No. 10 at $3.1 billion — the largest gain of any team in the top ten. The franchise sits at the intersection of a growing market and a competitive on-field product, and its financial momentum is only accelerating.
The Padres are widely expected to fetch more than $3 billion as the Seidler family looks to sell the club, perhaps even reaching $3.5 billion with the inclusion of their events business.
The Padres finished 2025 behind only the Dodgers in attendance with 3.4 million fans, and they are the only team in the four biggest North American sports leagues in the San Diego area after the Chargers moved to Los Angeles.
9. Houston Astros ($3.2 billion)
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Houston Astros
- Founded: 1962 (as Houston Colt .45s)
- Ballpark: Minute Maid Park, Houston, TX
- Owner: Jim Crane
- Forbes 2026 value: $3.2 billion
- 2025 revenue: $464 million
- YoY change: +14%
The Astros are one of MLB's most consistent business performers, underpinned by sustained on-field success and a loyal fanbase in one of America's fastest-growing cities. Owner Jim Crane's franchise posted $464 million in revenue and an operating income of -$45 million in 2025, reflecting the cost of maintaining a championship-caliber roster.
Houston won two World Series titles (2017, 2022) in the Jim Crane era and regularly ranks among the league's highest-payroll teams, which compresses operating margins but drives franchise value upward through sustained attendance and brand relevance.
8. Atlanta Braves ($3.35 billion)
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Atlanta Braves
- Founded: 1876
- Ballpark: Truist Park, Cumberland, GA
- Owner: Atlanta Braves Holdings / Liberty Media
- Forbes 2026 value: $3.35 billion
- 2025 revenue: $524 million
- YoY change: +12%
The Braves are one of the most financially sophisticated franchises in baseball. Atlanta Braves Holdings — a publicly traded entity — gives the franchise a level of financial transparency rare in major league sports. The Braves generated $524 million in revenue and posted a $27 million operating income in 2025, making them one of only a handful of top-10 clubs to turn a profit.
The development of The Battery Atlanta — a mixed-use entertainment district surrounding Truist Park — has been a major revenue driver, and the 30 MLB teams are collectively worth $95 billion, including real estate and related businesses such as The Battery in Atlanta.
7. Philadelphia Phillies ($3.4 billion)
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Philadelphia Phillies
- Founded: 1883
- Ballpark: Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, PA
- Owners: Middleton family & Buck family
- Forbes 2026 value: $3.4 billion
- 2025 revenue: $539 million
- YoY change: +10%
The Phillies have been one of baseball's great financial success stories of the past decade. The franchise has nearly tripled its $1.25 billion valuation from 2015, when it ranked 10th overall. That transformation was sparked by a renewal on the field: signing Bryce Harper in 2018 reignited passion for the Phillies in what has always been a baseball city.
The team has since reached two World Series (2022, 2023) and broken consecutive season-ticket records, fueling revenue growth that now places Philadelphia firmly in the NL's financial elite.
6. New York Mets ($3.5 billion)
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: New York Mets
- Founded: 1962
- Ballpark: Citi Field, Queens, NY
- Owner: Steve Cohen & Alexandra Cohen
- Forbes 2026 value: $3.5 billion
- 2025 revenue: $553 million
- YoY change: +9%
The Mets are one of the sport's most intriguing financial stories: their franchise value ($3.5B) is dwarfed by the personal net worth of their owner. Topping the list of richest MLB owners is Steve Cohen of the Mets, worth $23 billion. In 2020, Cohen paid $2.4 billion to become the team's majority owner, the highest price ever paid for an MLB team.
That willingness to spend has translated to massive payroll outlays. The Mets are valued at $3.2 billion and are operating at a $268 million loss, in part because owner Steve Cohen is paying just under $400 million in 2025 between payroll and competitive balance tax. Cohen's spending is boosting on-field results — and with it, long-term franchise value.
5. San Francisco Giants ($4.05 billion)
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: San Francisco Giants
- Founded: 1883
- Ballpark: Oracle Park, San Francisco, CA
- Owner: Greg Johnson et al.
- Forbes 2026 value: $4.05 billion
- 2025 revenue: $477 million
- YoY change: +1%
The Giants hold MLB's fifth most valuable franchise on the strength of their premium San Francisco market, iconic ballpark, and one of the sport's most loyal fanbases. Owner Greg Johnson's franchise posted $477 million in revenue and a $54 million operating income in 2025 — one of the stronger operating profit figures in the top ten.
Private equity giant Sixth Street bought 10% of the San Francisco Giants recently, a strong signal of institutional confidence in the franchise's long-term financial trajectory, even as the team's valuation growth has slowed to just 1% year-over-year.
4. Chicago Cubs ($5.0 billion)
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Chicago Cubs
- Founded: 1876
- Ballpark: Wrigley Field, Chicago, IL
- Owner: Ricketts family
- Forbes 2026 value: $5.0 billion
- 2025 revenue: $599 million
- YoY change: +9%
The Cubs are one of baseball's most commercially powerful franchises, combining global brand recognition, the magic of Wrigley Field, and aggressive off-field investment. The Chicago Cubs are owned by the Ricketts family, who have a net worth of $8.6 billion. Tom Ricketts is the chairman of the Cubs and led the bid to buy a 95% stake in the team in 2009.
The family has invested over $1 billion in modernizing Wrigley Field and renovating the surrounding Wrigleyville area, and also partnered with Sinclair Broadcast Group to found Marquee Sports Network, a regional sports network that is the primary broadcaster of the Cubs. At $599M in revenue, the Cubs are one of baseball's top revenue-generators.
3. Boston Red Sox ($5.25 billion)
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Boston Red Sox
- Founded: 1901
- Ballpark: Fenway Park, Boston, MA
- Owner: Fenway Sports Group (John W. Henry, Tom Werner)
- Forbes 2026 value: $5.25 billion
- 2025 revenue: $552 million
- YoY change: +6%
The Red Sox are one of the most iconic brands in all of North American sports, and Fenway Park — the oldest active ballpark in MLB — is a revenue-generating institution in its own right.
Owner John Henry is a commodities and futures trading pioneer who bought the team in 2002 as part of the Fenway Sports Group and has since expanded the portfolio to include Liverpool FC, the Pittsburgh Penguins, and stakes in other sports properties.
He oversaw the end of the 86-year championship drought in 2004 and has won four World Series titles in Boston since. Despite a relatively modest 6% year-over-year growth figure, the franchise's $5.25B valuation cements its place among baseball's financial elite.
2. Los Angeles Dodgers ($7.8 billion)
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Los Angeles Dodgers
- Founded: 1883
- Ballpark: Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, CA
- Owner: Guggenheim Baseball Management (Mark Walter, lead)
- Forbes 2026 value: $7.8 billion
- 2025 revenue: $850 million
- YoY change: +13%
The Dodgers are baseball's most fascinating financial story. While the Bronx Bombers again lead the league at an estimated $8.5 billion, the Dodgers — the reigning World Series champions — are now valued at $7.8 billion, halving last year's $1.4 billion gap.
The difference stood at $2.1 billion just two years ago. Mark Walter and his ownership group can keep pouring money into the organization, and a 25-year, $8.35 billion local media rights deal doesn't hurt.
While bankers caution that the $1 billion in deferred player salary on the Dodgers' books might depress their price tag slightly, several told Forbes they could see the team's revenue trajectory pushing its valuation ahead of the Yankees' in the next few years.
1. New York Yankees ($8.5 billion)
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: New York Yankees
- Founded: 1903
- Ballpark: Yankee Stadium, The Bronx, NY
- Owner: Steinbrenner family (Hal Steinbrenner, managing partner)
- Forbes 2026 value: $8.5 billion
- 2025 revenue: $710 million
- YoY change: +4%
The New York Yankees are the undisputed monarch of MLB's business landscape — and have been for nearly three decades. The Yankees are No. 1 in Forbes' annual MLB team valuations at an estimated $8.5 billion, valued at 12 times estimated 2025 revenue — a multiple more in line with the NBA or NFL than MLB.
Every year since Forbes first began publishing its ranking in 1998, the New York Yankees have claimed the top spot. Hal Steinbrenner and his siblings inherited control of the Yankees from their father when he died in 2010.
The family also owns YES Network and has a stake in AC Milan. The Yankees generated $710 million in revenue in 2025, the highest adjusted figure in the sport — a testament to the brand's unmatched commercial power across merchandise, media rights, and sponsorships.
FAQs
What is the most valuable MLB team in 2026?
The New York Yankees are the most valuable MLB team in 2026, worth an estimated $8.5 billion — or 12 times estimated 2025 revenue. They have held that distinction every year since Forbes began publishing the list in 1998. The Los Angeles Dodgers ($7.8B) are the runner-up and closing fast.
What MLB team has the richest owner?
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Topping the list of richest MLB owners is Steve Cohen of the New York Mets, worth approximately $23 billion. In 2020, Cohen paid $2.4 billion to become the team's majority owner — the highest price ever paid for an MLB franchise. His personal fortune dwarfs even the value of the sport's most expensive club, the Yankees.
Are all MLB teams' values growing?
Not equally. The Chicago White Sox saw their valuation decline for the second straight year, to $1.94 billion. Meanwhile, MLB's 30 franchises are up 12% on average, to $2.9 billion, from $2.6 billion a year ago.
The Marlins, Rays, and Padres posted some of the biggest gains in 2026, while smaller-market clubs continue to lag.
What is the least valuable MLB team?
The Miami Marlins, climbing 43% from 2025, now set the league's floor at $1.5 billion — after an eight-year stretch in which they appreciated a mere 12%, from $940 million to $1.05 billion.
Despite playing in a large media market, Miami's persistent attendance struggles and thin payroll have historically suppressed the franchise's value relative to peers.
Could the Dodgers overtake the Yankees as MLB's most valuable team?
It's increasingly plausible. Bankers told Forbes they could see the Dodgers' revenue trajectory pushing their valuation ahead of the Yankees' in the next few years, though the Yankees' own YES Network ownership and global brand give them a durable financial floor.
The gap has shrunk from $2.1B to just $700M in two years — at current rates, the crown could change hands before 2030.
Legit.ng also highlighted facts about the richest MLB owners, led by the astonishingly wealthy Steve Cohen of the New York Mets, whose net worth reaches an incredible $23 billion.
As these owners navigate the worlds of finance and sports, their personal stories reveal not just their financial triumphs but also the passion and determination that drive them to succeed beyond the ballpark.
Source: Legit.ng
