Ranking Every MLB Owner, From Worst to First

So how are all 30 baseball team owners doing?

Ranking Every MLB Owner, From Worst to First

Hal Steinbrenner of the New York Yankees

Where have all the hypercompetitive, in-it-to-win-it Major League Baseball team owners gone? Straight to the bank.

The baseball gravy train is on a roll. In 2022, the average MLB franchise was worth $2.07 billion — up almost 10 percent from 2018 thanks to some lucrative television contracts.

Because there’s little motivation to boost team payroll, especially in smaller markets, only a select few owners bring it every season. The others pick their spots to upgrade the product, if they invest much at all, and are perfectly happy to pocket TV and luxury tax money while losing a boatload of games.

Remember, home attendance is far less of a factor these days. Empty seats don’t talk nearly as much as they did back in the day.

So, how are all 30 baseball team owners doing?

30. Peter Angelos, Baltimore Orioles

Purchased team: 1993

Purchase price: $173 million

Current team value: $1.6 billion

World Series titles: 0

Note: Current team values through start of 2023 season.

Bottom Line: Peter Angelos, Baltimore Orioles

Peter Angelos shares a laugh with author Tom Clancy

Few owners have let down their fans more than Peter Angelos, who three decades ago inherited a solid nucleus and new ballpark that was the envy of his peers. Sure, there have been a few memorable moments along the way. But the period has been marred by wild mood swings that start with an impulsive owner who has been the bane of general managers.

The 2018 season was the worst yet — a ridiculous 115 losses. While Peter Angelos himself closes in on his 100th birthday, there's a ray of light on the horizon. The Orioles have some of the brightest young stars in baseball on the roster and more coming up in the farm system — and they're already contenders in the AL East.

29. Bob Nutting, Pittsburgh Pirates

Bob Nutting and Clint Hurdle — Pittsburgh Pirates owner Bob Nutting, left, visits with manager Clint Hurdle in the dugout before an interleague baseball game against the Boston Red Sox in 2011.

Purchased team: 1996

Purchase price: $92 million

Current team value: $1.26 billion

World Series titles: 0

Bottom Line: Bob Nutting, Pittsburgh Pirates

Pittsburgh Pirates Bob Nutting talks with Pirates's Ke'Bryan Hayes

Bob Nutting is proof positive that it doesn’t take half a brain to make a fortune. Fact is, very few mid-market teams pack this kind of potential. Insanely passionate sports town. Great baseball tradition. Out-of-this-world ballpark.

If the 17th-richest team owner put the 17th highest-paid team on the field, it would be a fairly consistent playoff contender and even bigger money machine. But no, they opened the 2019 season with a puny $76.1 million payroll, 27th overall per Spotrac.

As long as this once-proud franchise is held hostage by the tight-fisted owner, it’s destined to be a chronic underachiever.

28. Jerry Reinsdorf, Chicago White Sox

Purchased team: 1981

Purchase price: $20 million

Current team value: $1.84 billion

World Series titles: 1 (2005)

Bottom Line: Jerry Reinsdorf, Chicago White Sox

Chicago White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf watches against Houston Astros

When I become commish, no major market team will be allowed to embark on a full-blown rebuild while it pockets luxury tax money and scrooges the fans. That even goes for the second team in a two-team market such as this one.

At 83, Jerry Reinsdorf remains loyal only to employees, team investors and the bottom line. The $89.9 million payroll ranks 26th in the bigs. Meanwhile, his team of no-names is mired in its worst extended stretch of the post-expansion era.

The 2005 World Series seems like a long, long time ago.

27. Bruce Sherman, Miami Marlins

Purchased team: 2017

Purchase price: $1.2 billion

Current team value: $1.07 billion

World Series titles: 0

Bottom Line: Bruce Sherman, Miami Marlins

Miami Marlins majority owner Bruce Sherman watches his team

Major League Baseball would be so much better with, say, a half-dozen fewer teams. The contraction should start in South Florida, where Bruce Sherman has replaced crooked Jeffrey Loria, who left with everything except hubcaps in the Marlins Park lot.

Some things haven’t changed, namely, the second-lowest payroll ($72.4 million) in the big leagues. Co-owner Derek Jeter offered some needed class, but bailed on his stake in the team in 2022 with a parting shot, saying "The vision for the future of the franchise is different than the one I signed up to lead."

26. Edward Rogers (Rogers Communications), Toronto Blue Jays

Purchased team: 2000

Purchase price: $137 million

Current team value: $1.97 billion

World Series titles: 0

Bottom Line: Edward Rogers (Rogers Communications), Toronto Blue Jays

No ownership group has walked the bottom line as faithfully as this conglomerate over the years. The team is rarely first, rarely last, almost always in the middle of a top-heavy division.

Based on a 27 percent plunge in home attendance in the 2018 season, however, its fans no longer want to be an afterthought. The team was a distant 21st in payroll ($114 million) on Opening Day in 2019, the lowest of any major market with one team.

Sooner or later, something has gotta give here, eh?

25. John Fisher, Oakland Athletics

Purchased team: 2005

Purchase price: $180 million

Current team value: $1.31 billion

World Series titles: 0

Bottom Line: John Fisher, Oakland Athletics

John Fisher ranks in the middle of the pack among wealthiest owners, yet he runs the team like a Triple-A farm club. The team has consistently had some of the lowest payrolls in the majors since he took over the franchise.

Will that continue once the team makes the move to Las Vegas in 2024?

24. Jim Pohlad, Minnesota Twins

Purchased team: 2009

Purchase price: $44 million

Current team value: $1.56 billion

World Series title: none

Bottom Line: Jim Pohlad, Minnesota Twins

Remember when MLB co-conspirators assured us that new stadiums would cure the mid-market blahs? More fake news. When the new smell wears off, those teams face many of the same familiar problems. Losses mount, ballparks empty and it’s back to square one again.

The Twins know this better than anyone. After a one-year honeymoon at Target Field, they’ve averaged 91 losses in the last eight seasons while attendance has plunged 39 percent.

Jim Pohlad has entrusted the future to an unproven baseball ops team and rookie manager, but with one of the highest payrolls in the worst division in the majors, there’s no excuse for his team to be bad much longer.

23. Ken Kendrick, Arizona Diamondbacks

Arizona Diamondbacks managing partner Ken Kendrick, right, and team president Derrick Hall at a 2010 news conference.

Purchased team: 2003

Purchase price: $238 million

Current team value: $1.33 billion

World Series titles: 0

Bottom Line: Ken Kendrick, Arizona Diamondbacks

Arizona Diamondbacks owner Ken Kendrick and team president and CEO Derrick Hall smile

The Diamondbacks have been mired in the muck of mediocrity for more than a decade now. Some say the problem starts with a drip in the front office, where Ken Kendrick serves as an impetuous hard-ass with a serious case of Dodgers envy. He’s on his sixth manager, rough-edged Kirk Gibson among them. He also hired bully Tony La Russa as general manager despite no previous experience in the position.

All the while, Kendrick picked a silly fight with the rival Dodgers, whose fans he threatened to evict from Chase Field if they didn’t change into Diamondbacks wear. He also warned their players not to celebrate on the field.

Of course, if the front office could build a pennant winner for first time since 2001, opponents would have no reason to pop their corks. The trade of All-Star slugger Paul Goldschmidt was no way to begin the process, and Goldschmidt winning National League MVP honors in 2022 for another team only twisted the knife.

22. Christopher Ilitch (Ilitch family), Detroit Tigers

Purchased team: 2017

Purchase price: $82 million

Current team value: $1.46 billion

World Series titles: 0

Bottom Line: Christopher Ilitch, Detroit Tigers

The sixth of seven Illitch kids has a tough act to follow. As Tigers/Red Wings boss, his father, Mike, was the rare popular team owner, frequently involved in personnel matters and quick to open his checkbook.

If nothing else, Christopher seems to understand the family sports tradition. He speaks openly about creativity and commitment and the big picture.

Will he be a chip off the old block? He’s off to a rough start, but let's give him some time. It’s early in the game.

21. Ron Fowler, San Diego Padres

Ron Folwer — Ron Fowler, right, and Kevin O'Malley, in 2012, during the announcement of the approval of the sale of the San Diego Padres to a ownership group headed by Fowler and members of the O'Malley family of Los Angeles Dodgers fame.

Purchased team: 2012

Purchase price: $600 million

Current team value: $1.87 billion

World Series titles: 0

Bottom Line: Ron Fowler, San Diego Padres

Originally, the Padres ranked much closer to the bottom for no other reason than their 12-year playoff drought. When Ron Fowler signed off on free-agent Manny Machado in the 2018 offseason, that moved the Fowler and the Padres up the list, if not the standings.

Investments in Machado and other high-profile players have paid off. The Padres ended a 14-year playoff drought in 2020 and made it back to the postseason in 2022.

20. John Sherman, Kansas City Royals

Purchased team: 2020

Purchase price: $1 billion

Current team value: $1.25 billion

World Series titles: None

Bottom Line: John Sherman, Kansas City Royals

Kansas City Royals owner John Sherman and Carlos Santana

John Sherman cut his teeth in the MLB team ownership ranks when he bought a minority share of the Cleveland Indians in 2016 and became the team's vice chairman, then went all-in when he bought a majority share in the Kansas City Royals in 2020 for $1 billion.

Sherman's investment is paying off in terms of the team's value but not on the field — the Royals are worth an estimated $1.25 billion in 2023 but are also one of the worst teams in baseball.

19. Bob Castellini, Cincinnati Reds

Purchased team: 2006

Purchase price: $270 million

Current team value: $1.39 billion

World Series titles: 0

Bottom Line: Bob Castellini, Cincinnati Reds

Cincinnati Reds Nick Castellanos shakes hands with Reds chief executive owner Bob Castellini

Bob Castellini is a lifelong Reds fan who says patience is not his greatest virtue. Wouldn’t know it by the won-loss record, though.

Finally, team management shook up the roster in a blockbuster seven-player trade with the Dodgers in the 2018 offseason. The club opened the 2019 season with a reasonable $126.4 million payroll (15th overall), another sign of a mid-market team that was trying to win, but the Reds bottomed out in 2022 with a 62-100 record. Brutal.

18. Terry McGuirk (Liberty Media), Atlanta Braves

Purchased team: 2007

Purchase price: $400 million

Current team value: $2.75 billion

World Series titles: 1 (2021)

Bottom Line: Terry McGuirk (Liberty Media), Atlanta Braves

The Bravos play in another new stadium, this one on nearly $400 million of public dime outside Atlanta. Yet the surge in attendance and revenue hasn’t carried over to the field while ownership tends to other business interests.

On the heels of their first East Division title in five years, the Braves began the 2019 season with the No. 22 payroll ($113.9 million) in the majors. In the meantime, the division-rival Phillies executed a cannonball splash in the free-agent market, which left Braves supporters perplexed or worse.

McGuirk's moves finally paid off with a World Series championship in 2021.

17. John Stanton, Seattle Mariners

Purchased team: 2016

Purchase price: $1.26 billion

Current team value: $1.8 billion

World Series titles: 0

Bottom Line: John Stanton, Seattle Mariners

It's not all rain and doom in Emerald City. For one, John Stanton is intent to keep the team in town. The CEO lives in Bellevue and bleeds Northwest Blue. He even admits to tears when the Pilots left town after one season.

His second priority is to bring the first World Series in franchise history to Safeco Field. Stanton believes in stability and that started to pay off in 2022, when the Mariners made the postseason for the first time since 2001.

16. Charles and Dick Monfort, Colorado Rockies

Purchased team: 2005

Purchase price: $95 million

Current team value: $1.37 billion

World Series titles: 0

Bottom Line: Charles and Dick Monfort, Colorado Rockies

Colorado Rockies baseball team owner Charles Monfort helps Kris Bryant

The brothers Monfort are colorful and controversial and known to get testy — even with their own fans. They also don’t like to lose much.

The team is in a tough spot with the Giants and Dodgers in the same division, but the Rockies have shown they're willing to spend money in recent years.

15. Mark Attanasio, Milwaukee Brewers

Purchased team: 2005

Purchase price: $223 million

Current team value: $1.5 billion

World Series titles: 0

Bottom Line: Mark Attanasio, Milwaukee Brewers

Milwaukee Brewers' owner Mark Attanasio walks off field

The Crew did well to upstage the rival Cubs a year ago, but their fans shouldn’t raise too many Milwaukee’s Bests just yet.

They have never finished above .500 for more than two consecutive seasons with Mark Attanasio in charge. His biggest boo-boo was a refusal to dump Ryan Braun and his killer contract in the late 2010s.

14. Steve Cohen, New York Mets

Purchased team: 2020

Purchase price: $2.475 billion

Current team value: $2.82 billion

World Series titles: None

Bottom Line: Steve Cohen, New York Mets

New York Mets owners Steve Cohen, and his wife Alexandra

For New York Mets fans, Steve Cohen seemed like manna from heaven when he purchased the team from embattled former owner Fred Wilpon in 2020.

Why do fans love Cohen? You can point directly to his "spend money to make money" approach to running the team. No surprise from the guy who allegedly was the inspiration for the main character in the Showtime series "Billions" — hedge fund genius Bobby Axelrod.

13. Ray Davis, Texas Rangers

Purchased team: 2010

Purchase price: $593 million

Current team value: $1.93 billion

World Series titles: 0

Bottom Line: Ray Davis, Texas Rangers

Ray C. Davis talks with a member of the staff

The Rangers' team ownership has a track record of extended success.

The formula: Let business people take care of business and baseball people take care of baseball. Besides, as Rangers fans will tell you, almost anyone is better than hands-on Tom Hicks, who went broke on ill-advised quick fixes and megacontracts that eventually saw him wind up filing for bankruptcy.

12. Hal Steinbrenner (Yankee Global Enterprises), New York Yankees

Purchased team: 1973

Purchase price: $9 million

Current team value: $7.13 billion

World Series titles: 1 (2009)

Bottom Line: Hal Steinbrenner (Yankee Global Enterprises), New York Yankees

Say what you want about the product on the field — since Hal Steinbrenner assumed control of the New York Yankees in 2008 the franchise has seen its value go from $1.36 billion to $7.13 billion in 2023. Consider that Hal's father, the late George Steinbrenner, bought the team for just a shade under $10 million in 1973.

Just goes to show all the money in the world can't always buy a World Series title.

11. Arte Moreno, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

Los Angeles Angels owner Arturo Moreno at spring training in Tempe, Ariz., in 2012.

Purchased team: 2003

Purchase price: $184 million

Current team value: $2.45 billion

World Series titles: 0

Bottom Lines: Arte Moreno, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

Los Angeles Angels baseball team owner Arte Moreno with Anthony Rendon

If Arte Moreno wasn’t so dadgum well off, it would be easy to feel for him. He is the rare likable billionaire owner, one who competes with the Richie Rich Dodgers in team payroll and treats everyone from employees to fans with respect.

In the case of veteran has-been Albert Pujols, a bit too well. Can we agree that his 10-year, $240 million contract was an XL-sized mistake? Not to mention having one of the worst team names in the history of pro sports.

Moreno hasn’t lost his drive to succeed. He even agreed to sell the team before backing out at the last second in 2022.

10. Stuart Sternberg, Tampa Bay Rays

Purchased team: 2004

Purchase price: $200 million

Current team value: $1.19 billion

World Series titles: 0

Bottom Line: Stuart Sternberg, Tampa Bay Rays

Tampa Bay Rays principle owner Stuart Sternberg watches pitching staff throw

Before Dickie Vitale and the other 12 Rays fans lodge another complaint about the team owner, they need to ask themselves this: Has any MLB franchise consistently done more with less than this one?

The Rays have no fan base to speak of, play in a dump and are stuck in a division with the two biggest spenders around. Yet somehow, they put up 90 wins in 2018, equal to or more than 20 other teams.

Truth is, the Rays can’t afford to fall in love with their best players. So the organization invests heavily and often smartly in player development, a sound model that some have-nots would be wise to follow.

9. Larry and Paul Dolan, Cleveland Gurdi

Purchased team: 2000

Purchase price: $323 million

Current team value: $1.36 billion

World Series titles: 0

Larry and Paul Dolan, Cleveland Indians

Cleveland Indians owner Larry Dolan talks with catcher Carlos Santana

There are those who believe the Dolan brothers should spend more on talent despite their comparatively modest resources.

Nonetheless, they have found ways to put a playoff team on the field in what felt like a desperate attempt to bring a World Series parade to their hometown.

The Dolans also oversaw the team's name change from the Indians to the Guardians in recent years.

8. Ted Lerner (Lerner Enterprises), Washington Nationals

Purchased team: 2006

Purchase price: $450 million

Current team value: $2.18 billion

World Series titles: 1 (2019)

Bottom Line: Ted Lerner (Lerner Enterprises), Washington Nationals

This World Series thing hasn’t been nearly as easy as Ted Lerner thought it would be at first. The repeated failures haven’t been for a lack of want-to, though.

The Nats spent lavishly with superstar Bryce Harper on the roster (he's gone now) and will likely continue to do so in the future. Second-guess some of the personnel moves, but don’t question the commitment.

7. William DeWitt Jr., St. Louis Cardinals

Purchased team: 1996

Purchase price: $150 million

Current team value: $2.44 billion

World Series titles: 2 (2006, 2011)

Bottom Line: William DeWitt Jr., St. Louis Cardinals

St. Louis Cardinals owner William DeWitt Jr. smiles

The Cardinal way may be a tad narcissistic — the team averaged a rather modest, 85-plus victories over the last three seasons — but it still works for the most part.

The franchise develops young talent, picks its spots in free agency, wins its share of games and provides a positive ballpark experience.

Now William DeWitt Jr. and company have to make good on what matters most to the rabid fan base ... beating the Cubs.

6. Tom Ricketts (Ricketts family), Chicago Cubs

Purchased team: 2009

Purchase price: $700 million

Current team value: $4.69 billion

World Series titles: 1 (2016)

Bottom Line: Tom Ricketts (Ricketts family), Chicago Cubs

Chicago Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts answers questions

In a matter of years, Tom Ricketts has forged his legacy as The Cubs Owner Who Reversed The World Series Curse, even if a major rebuild came before it.

He also has turned Wrigleyville into a money pit.

The team opened the season with a $209.8 million payroll, second-highest in the bigs. At last, this major-market team acts like one.

5. John Middleton (Buck family), Philadelphia Phillies

Purchased team: 1981

Purchase price: $30 million

Current team value: $2.46 billion

World Series titles: 1 (2008)

Bottom Line: John Middleton (Buck family), Philadelphia Phillies

Philadelphia Phillies managing partner John Middleton speaks

The Phillies have come a long way since the Buck brothers bought the team for $30 million as part of a group in 1981. As free agents Jake Arrieta, Bryce Harper and Carlos Santana can attest, principal owner John Middleton isn't afraid to spend some cash.

It's an approach more owners should probably take. When a major-market franchise boasts one of the most lucrative local TV deals in the sport, it should spend money. The Phillies are inching closer to a World Series title — they won the NL pennant in 2022 but lost to the Astros in the World Series.

4. Charlie B. Johnson, San Francisco Giants

Purchased team: 1993

Purchase price: $100 million

Current team value: $3.81 billion

World Series titles: 3 (2010, 2012, 2014)

Bottom Line: Charlie B. Johnson, San Francisco Giants

Tim Lincecum, Bruce Bochy, Buster Posey — San Francisco Giants, from left, pitcher Tim Lincecum, manager Bruce Bochy and catcher Buster Posey carry the Giants World Series trophies from the 2010, 2012 and 2014 seasons.

If the best team owner is the one who stays out of the way and lets his money talk for him, then Charlie B. Johnson fits the description as well as anyone.

After consecutive subpar seasons, largely the result of a neglected farm system, the front office has undergone an overhaul of sorts.

Whether the shift toward metrics pays dividends remains to be seen, but history says one of the deepest pockets in the majors quietly will provide whatever resources are necessary.

3. Jim Crane, Houston Astros

Purchased team: 2011

Purchase price: $465 million

Current team value: $2.58

World Series titles: 2 (2017, 2022)

Bottom Line: Jim Crane, Houston Astros

Former NCAA Division II baseball player Jim Crane bought into bad situation, what with the team in the early stages of a rebuild from the ground up, and the organization took some lumps along the way.

A series of shrewd personnel moves on and off the field has produced two World Series titles in the last six seasons, winning in 2017 and 2022.

2. Mark Walter (Guggenheim Baseball Management), Los Angeles Dodgers

Purchased team: 2012

Purchase price: $2 billion

Current team value: $5.24 billion

World Series titles: 1 (2020)

Bottom Line: Mark Walter (Guggenheim Baseball Management), Los Angeles Dodgers

President Joe Biden receives a jersey from Los Angeles Dodgers co-owner Mark Walter

Gone are the days when the front office throws money at every problem, only to sing the Dodger blues.

Although Mark Walter says the salary tax threshold is not a priority, the front office has focused less on pricy free agents and more on player development. The result is a hot brand with a slew of quality prospects. Yep, all that and Dodger dogs, too.

On the heels of back-to-back National League pennants, the Dodgers finally delivered with a World Series title in 2020.

1. John Henry, Boston Red Sox

John Henry and Linda Pizzuti Henry — Boston Red Sox owner John Henry with his wife Linda Pizzuti Henry during the team's home opener in 2018.

Purchased team: 2002-present

Purchase price: $380 million

Current team value: $5.21 billion

World Series titles: 4 (2004, 2007, 2013, 2018)

Bottom Line: John Henry, Boston Red Sox

Boston Red Sox owner John Henry at Fenway

A World Series parade every five years or so. A payroll that’s as large as that of the Orioles, Blue Jays and White Sox combined. And a museum-like ballpark to boot.

For even the most obnoxious Boston sports fan, what’s not to like here?