Forbes released its annual list of the most valuable teams in Major League Baseball on Thursday, and the Texas Rangers were listed 12th out of the 30 major league teams.
The list has been published annually since 1998. It considers input from sports banks, league and team executives, and media rights experts, as well as information from public records, the future economic environment of the sport, past transactions, stadium and operations revenue and income, competitive balance taxes, and spring training and minor league expenses.
The Rangers’ valuation increased 9% from last year, but the team fell one spot in the rankings from last season.
Last year, the Rangers were worth $2.05 billion and are now valued at $2.225 billion, just behind the Houston Astros at $2.25 billion.
The increase was largely due to the Dallas-Fort Worth market’s location and size, whereas team branding contributed the least.
The Rangers saw a decrease in revenue and operating income from 2022 as well as win-to-player cost ratio while seeing a rise in player expenses after two offseasons involving high spending on marquee free agents.
The New York Yankees top the list for the 25th consecutive year with a value of $7.1 billion — up $1.1 billion from last year.
That is an 18% increase from Forbes, much of it due to the New York market, Yankee Stadium, and the brand.
The Los Angeles Dodgers, Boston Red Sox, and Chicago Cubs are the only three other teams worth more than $4 billion, and the San Francisco Giants ($3.7 billion) round out the top five.
The most significant increase in value came from the Seattle Mariners, who rose 29% after making the playoffs for the first time in 21 years.
Seattle ranked 16th at $1.7 billion and is now 13th at $2.2 billion.
Forbes points at the playoff push and the size of the Seattle market as two of the reasons for the increase.
The Milwaukee Brewers, Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Angels, and Baltimore Orioles also saw their valuations change by more than 20% over the last year.
The Miami Marlins have the lowest valuation at $1 billion.
Forbes releases lists for all the major sports. The Dallas Cowboys topped the 2022 NFL and professional sports valuation lists at $8 billion. The Golden State Warriors ($7 billion) were the highest in the NBA, while Real Madrid ($5.1 billion) and the New York Rangers ($2.2 billion) were the most valuable hockey and soccer teams.
The Dallas Stars were 18th in the most recent NHL valuation at $925 million, and the Dallas Mavericks ranked eighth in the NBA at $3.3 billion.