Baseball is not dying: Average MLB team values up 19 percent.

Baseball team values are up 19 percent from last year. (AP Photo)

Toss your “baseball is dying” narrative out the window, because it couldn’t be further from the truth. Baseball is doing just fine, thank you. In fact, it’s doing better than ever. The average Major League Baseball team has increased in value 19 percent since last year, according to Forbes.

Forbes released its annual team values Tuesday, which revealed many of the usual suspects at the top. To no one’s surprise, the New York Yankees ranked at the top of the list. Forbes values the team at $3.7 billion. They were followed by the Los Angeles Dodgers ($2.75 billion) and the Boston Red Sox ($2.7 billion). The World Series champion Chicago Cubs ($2.68 billion) placed fourth on the list. The average MLB team is worth $1.54 billion, which is second to only NFL teams at $2.33 billion.

The bigger story, however, is that values are up all over the sport. That’s due to a number of factors, according to Forbes. The biggest of which is new local television contracts signed by teams. These deals are not only lucrative, but allow franchises to spend that money on premier talent.


By Chris Cwik.
Full story at Yahoo News.