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Mar 30, 2026

⚾ Royals rank 27th in Forbes’ 2026 MLB franchise valuations, post 26% increase

Posted Mar 30, 2026 9:31 AM
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The Kansas City Royals remain among Major League Baseball’s least valuable franchises, but Forbes’ 2026 team valuations show the club is trending upward heading into the new season.

Forbes valued the Royals at $1.64 billion in its annual MLB franchise rankings released ahead of the 2026 season. That placed Kansas City 27th among 30 teams, ahead of only the Pittsburgh Pirates ($1.62 billion), Cincinnati Reds ($1.6 billion) and Miami Marlins ($1.5 billion).

Despite ranking near the bottom of the league in total value, the Royals posted one of baseball’s largest year-over-year increases. Forbes reported Kansas City’s valuation rose 26% from last year, tied for the seventh-largest jump among MLB clubs.

Forbes estimated the Royals generated $330 million in revenue during the 2025 season and recorded $25 million in operating income.

Kansas City also remains near the bottom of the American League Central in franchise value. The Minnesota Twins were valued at $1.71 billion, the Cleveland Guardians at $1.66 billion, the Detroit Tigers at $1.8 billion and the Chicago White Sox at $1.94 billion.

The New York Yankees topped Forbes’ list at $8.5 billion, followed by the Los Angeles Dodgers at $7.8 billion. The Boston Red Sox ranked third at $5.25 billion, the Chicago Cubs were fourth at $5 billion and the San Francisco Giants rounded out the top five at $4.05 billion.

Among the biggest risers, the San Diego Padres saw a 59% increase in valuation, the Miami Marlins rose 43%, and the Tampa Bay Rays increased 36%.

Forbes said its valuations are based on enterprise value, which includes equity and net debt, and are derived from historical transactions and projected economics for each club and the sport overall. Revenue and operating income estimates are for the 2025 season and exclude playoff revenue.

Forbes 2026 MLB franchise valuations

  1. New York Yankees — $8.5 billion One-year change: 4% Revenue: $710 million Operating income: -$53 million Owner: Steinbrenner family
  2. Los Angeles Dodgers — $7.8 billion One-year change: 13% Revenue: $850 million Operating income: -$21 million Owner: Guggenheim Baseball Management
  3. Boston Red Sox — $5.25 billion One-year change: 9% Revenue: $567 million Operating income: $78 million Owners: John Henry, Tom Werner
  4. Chicago Cubs — $5 billion One-year change: 9% Revenue: $599 million Operating income: $58 million Owner: Ricketts family
  5. San Francisco Giants — $4.05 billion One-year change: 1% Revenue: $477 million Operating income: $54 million Owner: Greg Johnson
  6. New York Mets — $3.5 billion One-year change: 9% Revenue: $553 million Operating income: -$214 million Owners: Steve and Alexandra Cohen
  7. Philadelphia Phillies — $3.4 billion One-year change: 10% Revenue: $539 million Operating income: -$52 million Owners: Middleton family, Buck family
  8. Atlanta Braves — $3.35 billion One-year change: 12% Revenue: $524 million Operating income: $27 million Owner: Atlanta Braves Holdings
  9. Houston Astros — $3.2 billion One-year change: 14% Revenue: $464 million Operating income: -$45 million Owner: Jim Crane
  10. San Diego Padres — $3.1 billion One-year change: 59% Revenue: $452 million Operating income: -$1 million Owner: Seidler family
  11. Los Angeles Angels — $2.8 billion One-year change: 2% Revenue: $377 million Operating income: -$14 million Owners: Arturo and Carole Moreno
  12. St. Louis Cardinals — $2.75 billion One-year change: 8% Revenue: $350 million Operating income: $33 million Owner: William DeWitt Jr.
  13. Texas Rangers — $2.7 billion One-year change: 10% Revenue: $398 million Operating income: -$44 million Owner: Ray Davis
  14. Toronto Blue Jays — $2.5 billion One-year change: 16% Revenue: $445 million Operating income: -$71 million Owner: Rogers Communications
  15. Seattle Mariners — $2.35 billion One-year change: 7% Revenue: $390 million Operating income: $24 million Owners: John Stanton, Chris Larson
  16. Washington Nationals — $2.15 billion One-year change: 2% Revenue: $300 million Operating income: -$15 million Owner: Lerner family
  17. Baltimore Orioles — $2.1 billion One-year change: 11% Revenue: $355 million Operating income: $23 million Owner: David Rubenstein
  18. Athletics — $2 billion One-year change: 11% Revenue: $320 million Operating income: $45 million Owner: John Fisher
  19. Arizona Diamondbacks — $1.96 billion One-year change: 23% Revenue: $324 million Operating income: -$31 million Owner: Ken Kendrick
  20. Chicago White Sox — $1.94 billion One-year change: -3% Revenue: $239 million Operating income: -$40 million Owner: Jerry Reinsdorf
  21. Milwaukee Brewers — $1.9 billion One-year change: 12% Revenue: $354 million Operating income: $47 million Owner: Mark Attanasio
  22. Detroit Tigers — $1.8 billion One-year change: 16% Revenue: $363 million Operating income: $27 million Owner: Ilitch family
  23. Minnesota Twins — $1.71 billion One-year change: 14% Revenue: $315 million Operating income: $11 million Owner: Pohlad family
  24. Tampa Bay Rays — $1.7 billion One-year change: 36% Revenue: $290 million Operating income: $31 million Owner: Patrick Zalupski
  25. Colorado Rockies — $1.68 billion One-year change: 14% Revenue: $319 million Operating income: $20 million Owners: Richard Monfort, Charles Monfort
  26. Cleveland Guardians — $1.66 billion One-year change: 19% Revenue: $337 million Operating income: $53 million Owners: Paul Dolan, David Blitzer
  27. Kansas City Royals — $1.64 billion One-year change: 26% Revenue: $330 million Operating income: $25 million Owner: John Sherman
  28. Pittsburgh Pirates — $1.62 billion One-year change: 20% Revenue: $330 million Operating income: $48 million Owner: Nutting family
  29. Cincinnati Reds — $1.6 billion One-year change: 21% Revenue: $336 million Operating income: $26 million Owner: Phil Castellini
  30. Miami Marlins — $1.5 billion One-year change: 43% Revenue: $320 million Operating income: $53 million Owner: Bruce Sherman
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