Major League Baseball Franchise Values Soar 23% In One Year
But the Yankees are not alone in their sudden jump in value as the average increase was 23%.The biggest reason for the rise in values is the recent surge in television revenue.
In all, 19 teams saw their value jump at least 20%, led by the Oakland A's, who went from $321 million in 2012 to $468 million in 2013, a 46% increase. The Pittsburgh Pirates ($479M, +43%) and Tampa Bay Rays ($451M, +40%) were not far behind.
Other than the Yankees, three other teams are valued at at least $1.0 billion, including the Los Angeles Dodgers ($1.6B), Boston Red Sox ($1.3B), and Chicago Cubs ($1.0B).
The Rays are the least valuable franchise at $451 million. However, their value has more than doubled in just the last seven seasons.