The New York Yankees started the 2025 season with a bang, bashing 15 home runs in their opening weekend series against the Milwaukee Brewers and stirring controversy over the “torpedo” bat.
Whether that pace continues over the course of a 162-game season remains to be seen. But there’s no argument that the Bronx Bombers score big off the field, too, ranking as the most valuable franchise in Major League Baseball.
Forbes valued the Yankees at $8.2 billion in its 2025 MLB team valuations, the first time a baseball team has surpassed the $8 billion mark, joining three NFL teams and one NBA team. New York has topped the baseball rankings since Forbes began publishing the list in 1998.
The Los Angeles Dodgers are the second-most valuable team for the 14th year in a row. Now worth $6.8 billion — a 25% jump over last year — the defending World Series champions are among the 10 most valuable teams in the world from any sport, per Forbes.
Overall, MLB clubs are worth a record $2.6 billion on average, up 8% over 2024.
The Florida teams have the lowest valuations in the league, with the Tampa Bay Rays at $1.25 billion and Miami Marlins at $1.05 billion. Forbes noted that Tampa Bay is one of four teams whose value remained flat year over year.
Relocation or expansion on the horizon?
The Rays are in flux after Hurricane Milton shredded the roof of Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, forcing the team to play at a minor league park this season. On top of that, the team pulled out of a deal with the city and Pinellas County to build a new stadium.
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred has said Tampa Bay must find a permanent solution for a ballpark before the league would consider expansion. There also is reportedly pressure on Rays’ owner Stuart Stenberg to sell the club, raising the possibility of relocation if ownership changes hands, with several cities, including Salt Lake City, looking to bring baseball to their markets.
The Larry H. Miller Company threw Utah into the possible expansion mix three years ago, backed by a coalition of prominent politicians, business and community leaders, and former pro athletes. The company is moving forward ...
