The Chicago Cubs haven’t made the playoffs since 2020, but their valuation continues to skyrocket as they find themselves among MLB’s elite.
According to the latest valuations released by Forbes Magazine on Wednesday, the Cubs have a valuation of $4.6 billion, ranking them as the fourth-most valuable franchise in Major League Baseball.
That value is up 9% over last year, according to the magazine.
The New York Yankees are the top team in the league, with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Boston Red Sox ranking No. 2 and 3, respectively.
The valuations come as Major League Baseball enters a new era of uncertainty on multiple fronts. The league’s collective bargaining agreement expires in 2026, with players anticipating a potential work stoppage, according to Yahoo Sports.
Uncertainty over TV deals is also front of mind, as the league’s agreement with ESPN expires at the end of the year and regional sports networks continue to work to get deals in place with a variety of teams.
For the Cubs, their valuation has been helped by the team’s renovations of the areas around Wrigley Field, with the Ricketts family pouring hundreds of millions of dollars into the endeavor.
Sports
Those renovations have been largely completed, including a brand new hotel across the street, the Gallagher Way community area and shopping center, and a host of new additions to the ballpark, including video boards, luxury seating areas and more.
The team is hoping to land an MLB All-Star Game in coming years, though the 2025 (Atlanta) and 2026 (Philadelphia) games have already been awarded. The Cubs have not hosted an All-Star Game since 1990, marking one of the longest droughts of any team in that category.
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Only the Athletics have had a longer spell without hosting the game, and the Tampa Bay Rays have never hosted the MLB All-Star Game.
The Cubs are also hoping that their on-field fortunes will draw increased revenues, as the team is aiming to make the postseason for the first time since the COVID-shortened 2020 season. The Cubs have not reached the playoffs in a non-COVID year since 2018, and they only played one postseason game that year.
