Opening Day is almost upon us and with that, we thought we’d take a good look at couple of interesting stories about your favourite MLB team.
If you haven’t already, we previously wrote about the oldest team roster in the MLB in 2022 and that was quite surprising.
This time we’re looking at just how much your favourite MLB franchise was worth last season.
So, in the words of Tom Cruise in Jerry Maguire, ‘Show me the Money!’ and let’s dive into the numbers…
The Most Valuable Team?
The New York Yankees were the most valuable club last year, worth $6BN.
Their value had increased 156% in the last two decades, rising from $730M in 2002. They saw a steady climb in their value with two big jumps.
2014 – 15
The first came between 2014 and 2015 where the team’s value rose from $2.5BN to $3.2BN.
Interestingly, the 2014 season was their worst since 1992. They finished the Regular Season 84 – 78 (.519), second in the American League East but failed to make the Playoff for the second consecutive year and the third in two decades.
The 2015 season would be better with the Yankees finishing the Regular Season 87 – 75 (.537) and second once more in the AL East.
Yankees would clinch the Wild Card Berth but would be knocked out by the Houston Astros.
2021 – 22
The second big jump in the Yankee’s value would come between the 2021 and 2022 seasons.
The club would see its value rise from $5.25BN to $6BN.
The Yankees would record 92 – 70 (.568) with Third position in the AL East Division and a qualification to the Playoffs where they would later be knocked out by the Boston Red Sox in the AL Wild Card Game.
Last season was by far one of the very best for the Yankees. It saw stellar outfielder Aaron Judge break the American league’s single-season home-run record with 62 home-runs and the team made it to the World Series for the first time in five years.
They would lose in a four-game sweep by the Houston Astros who would go on to win the World Series.
The least valuable team?
That would be the Miami Marlins.
The current estimated value of the Marlins in 2022, was $990M and that value hasn’t changed in two years since it was revalued in 2020.
According to Forbes, the team had an estimated value of $136M in 2002 but was operating at a loss of $14BN. The team was also under new ownership.
Just the season before, New York Art Dealer Jeffery Loria would buy the team for $158.8M (He would later sell it for $1.2BN in 2017).
Was it a good time to buy? Fast forward to 2003 and the Marlins would go on to win the World Series. They’d beat the New York Yankees in a four-game sweep.
While the team’s value would steadily grow over the 2000s ($520M in 2012), they wouldn’t make it to the Playoffs until the 2020 Season. They would be swept aside by the Atlanta Braves.
Where’s the data from?
So this is according to data collected from the wealth media outlet Forbes, collated and published by Statista in May last year.
The data shows the estimated revenue made by MLB teams and their franchise value in 2021/22.
It illustrates that the overall revenue of the MLB franchise was just over $9.56BN with average revenue per team sitting at $319M.
Likewise, the average franchise value had increased from $295M in 2004 to $2.07BN in 2022, 150%.
The amounts in question come from a mix of sources from selling television and radio broadcasting rights as well sponsorship deals and of course tickets, merchandise and others.
Where did the Toronto Blue Jays come?
The Toronto Blue Jays had a value of $1.78BN, coming in 14th on the leader board of most valuable teams in 2022.
That placed them well ahead of their current team rivals, the Baltimore Orioles ($1.375BN) and just behind last year’s World Series winners, the Houston Astros ($1.98BN).
The Jays’ saw its value mushroom in the decade between 2012 to 2022.
From $413M in 2012, that saw its first big rise in 2013 to $568M and then to $900M in 2016.
2013 – 2016
It wasn’t a particularly good season with a score record of 74 – 88 (.457) and finishing last in the American League East.
Fast forward three years and the Jays are on a score record of 89 – 73 (.549), making it to second in the AL East and qualifying for the Playoffs. They would be knocked out by a four-game sweep by the Cleveland Indians in the AL Championship Series.
2017
There would be a boost in their value in 2017 to $1.3BN and a steady increase over the next five years to 2022.
