First in the American League on the field, next to last in dollar value. That's the Kansas City Royals.
In its annual rankings of Major League Baseball franchise values, Forbes magazine places the Royals 28th, ahead of only the Miami Marlins of the National League and, bringing up the rear, the Tampa Bay Rays in the AL. This, despite a reported 43 percent increase in the Royals' franchise value since last year.
Forbes values the Royals at $700 million, or half a bil shy of the major league average of $1.2 billion. Franchise values range from the New York Yankees (who else?) at $3.2 billion to the Rays at $625 million.
The Giants, who beat the Royals in the 2014 World Series, were valued at $2 billion, fourth overall and a 100 percent increase over the year before, the highest year-to-year gain in baseball.
So, a $700 million team won the AL pennant, then came within 90 feet of the tying run in Game 7 of the World Series against a $2 bil club? Not bad, Royals. Not bad.
