Yankees, Red Sox, Dodgers Top Sportico's List of 2021 MLB Franchise Values

The New York Yankees are worth an estimated $6.75 billion, making them MLB's most valuable franchise by a considerable margin based on the Sportico rankings heading into the 2021 season.

Here's a look at the top 10 in total value on the list released Friday, which combines the organization's baseline valuation with its team-related businesses and real estate:

• 1. New York Yankees: $6.75 billion
• 2. Boston Red Sox: $4.8 billion
• 3. Los Angeles Dodgers: $4.62 billion
• 4. Chicago Cubs: $4.14 billion
• 5. San Francisco Giants: $3.49 billion
• 6. New York Mets: $2.48 billion
• 7. Los Angeles Angels: $2.46 billion
• 8. Atlanta Braves: $2.38 billion
• 9. St. Louis Cardinals: $2.36 billion
• 10. Philadelphia Phillies: $2.28 billion

The Miami Marlins are at the bottom of the 30-team list with a value of $1.12 billion.

While MLB has faced questions about the future of a slow-paced sport in an era of limited attention spans, Kurt Badenhausen and Peter J. Schwartz of Sportico noted the league is ahead of the curve with its regional TV deals, streaming rights and readiness for in-game betting.

In turn, the average MLB club is still worth a staggering $2.2 billion, and the Sportico report noted there are "no COVID discounts" for the "savvy investors" looking to get into baseball ownership before a possible boom.

"I think there is a better chance of the New York Yankees being here in 50 years than Apple being around in 50 years," a sports financing insider told Badenhausen and Schwartz.

The 2021 MLB season, which will return to a standard 162-game schedule after the 2020 slate was reduced to 60 games because of the COVID-19 pandemic, gets underway Thursday.