Top 10 Most Valuable MLB Teams And 2 Stocks To Watch

Despite a three-month lockout that was the first for Major League Baseball in 25 years, teams are now worth more than they were the previous year. Here’s a look at the ten most valuable MLB teams and two stocks investors should keep on watch.

What Happened: Major League Baseball teams are worth $2.07 billion on average, a gain of 9% year-over-year.

Among the new catalysts for baseball teams are jersey patch deals, which will allow teams to dictate their own team sponsors and gain additional revenue. Forbes estimates the sponsorships could generate over $400 million for all 30 teams annually when combined.

Another catalyst is the expansion of the MLB Playoffs, adding an additional two teams to the postseason. The added playoff games will bring an additional $2 million annually to teams thanks to television rights from ESPN, a unit of The Walt Disney Co DIS.

Additionally, new streaming deals with Apple Inc AAPL and Comcast Corp CMCSA add $115 million annually for teams to split. Major League Baseball will now see annual television and streaming rights pass the $2 billion mark on an annual basis.

Local television rights deals help teams on an individual basis, with Sinclair Broadcast Group SBGI among the leaders in carrying MLB teams on a local level.

The Los Angeles Dodgers led the league last season with $189 million in cable television fees. The New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies, Los Angeles Angels and Texas Rangers round out the top five for the top local cable revenue teams.

Most Valuable MLB Teams: In March, Forbes put out its annual MLB team rankings, showing the value of each team and how much the team generated in operating income, or in some cases lost on the full year. Here are the ten most valuable MLB teams.

New York Yankees

Worth: $6 billion, +14%

Operating Income: -$40 million

The Yankees are the first MLB team to pass the $6 billion value mark, and rank second only to the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys for the title of most valuable North American sports team.

Los Angeles Dodgers

Worth: $4.08 billion, +14%

Operating Income: -$8 million

The Dodgers ranked first in cable television revenue and have performed well in the postseason the last few years. For the 2022 season, manager Dave Roberts recently guaranteed a World Series win, something that could boost the team’s value even more.

Boston Red Sox

Worth: $3.9 billion, +13%

Operating Income: $69 million

The Red Sox had one of the best operating income figures of the top ten most valuable teams in the last season.

Chicago Cubs

Worth: $3.8 billion, +13%

Operating Income: $68 million

The Chicago Cubs saw a nice gain of 13% and also had positive operating income in the last year.

San Francisco Giants

Worth: $3.5 billion, +10%

Operating Income: $32 million

The Giants had one of the best records in baseball last season and continue to rank near the top ten for attendance and price charged per ticket.

New York Mets

Worth: $2.65 billion, +8%

Operating Income: $96 million

The Mets were the top producing team of the top ten in operating income for the last season. The Mets are expected to be one of the top contenders for the 2022 World Series, according to early lines from sportsbooks.

St. Louis Cardinals

Worth: $2.45 billion, +9%

Operating Income: -$34 million

The Cardinals ranked fourth in MLB attendance last season and remain one of the most followed baseball teams.

Philadelphia Phillies

Worth: $2.3 billion, +12%

Operating Income: $17 million

The Phillies had one of the top years for cable television revenue last year.

Los Angeles Angles

Worth: $2.2 billion, +9%

Operating Income: -$2 million

The Angels enjoyed the success of Shohei Ohtani last season and have likely seen a boost in their international fan base. The Angels are a big contender for sportsbooks to have a rebound year in 2022 and contend for the World Series with Mike Trout healthy.

Atlanta Braves

Worth: $2.1 billion, +12%

Operating Income: $83 million

The Braves won their first World Series since 1995 in the last MLB season.

Related Link: Atlanta Braves Launching MLB Stadium In The Metaverse: Here's The Details And Why This Is Exciting

Two Stocks To Watch: The Braves, who gained 12% in their value in 2022 were the World Series winners. The team also ranked second in MLB attendance in the last season and remain one of the most followed baseball teams.

The Braves are publicly traded as Liberty Braves Group BATRABATRK and investors could enjoy in the success of the team. The stock experienced a short boost in valuation with the success of the Braves in the 2021 postseason, and a strong 2022 season could propel shares back to new highs once again.

Another team that is part of a publicly traded company is the Toronto Blue Jays. The Blue Jays are owned by Rogers Communications RCI, a Canadian telecommunications and media company.

Rogers is exploring selling a stake in the Blue Jays and the team’s stadium. The sale of a stake or the entire team is being done to help the company pay down debt ahead of its pending acquisition of Shaw Communications SJR.

The Blue Jays placed 14th on the Forbes MLB team rankings, valued at $1.78 billion, up 6% from the previous year. The team had an operating loss of $52 million in the last season.

A sale price of the Blue Jays is rumored in the $2 billion range, ahead of the Forbes rankings, which could provide a boost to the valuation of Rogers Communications.