Forbes Estimates Yankees Worth $5 Billion

NEW YORK (AP) — Forbes estimates the New York Yankees are baseball's most valuable franchise at $5 billion, up 9% over last year and 47% more than the No. 2 Los Angeles Dodgers at $3.4 billion.

TAMPA, FL - FEBRUARY 25: A New York Yankees cap and a baseball are seen at Legends Field on February 25, 2005 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

The Yankees are second among all sports in Forbes' evaluations to the Dallas Cowboys, listed at $5.5 billion in the last NFL ranking.

The Yankees' YES Network broadcasts Forbes "SportsMoney" television show.

The Boston Red Sox are third at $3.3 billion, Forbes said Thursday, followed by the Chicago Cubs ($3.2 billion), San Francisco ($3.1 billion), the New York Mets ($2.4 billion), St. Louis ($2.2 billion) and Philadelphia ($2 billion).

TAMPA, FLORIDA - MARCH 18: A view of the New York Yankees Spring Training facility at George M. Steinbrenner Field which has been closed due to the coronavirus outbreak on March 18, 2020 in Tampa, Florida. Major League Baseball canceled Spring Training games and delayed opening day due to COVID-19. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

Miami was last at $980 million, a drop of $20 million. Also near the bottom were Kansas City ($1.025 billion), Tampa Bay ($1.05 billion), Cincinnati ($1.075 billion) and Oakland ($1.1 billion).

Forbes estimates the MLB average team value rose 4% from last year to $1.85 billion, the smallest annual appreciation since a 2% rise in 2010.