D-backs 19th most valuable MLB team, according to Forbes

Forbes.com released its list of baseball’s most valuable teams on Wednesday, and the Arizona Diamondbacks ranked fourth in the National League West and 19th overall.

Current Value: $584 mill.

Revenue 2012: $195 mill.

Operating Income 2012: $7.6 mill.

The Diamondbacks want to shift ownership of $354 million Chase Field from Maricopa County to the city of Phoenix so that the team would have more say in the stadium’s management and generate more revenue from staging non-baseball events.

According to the article, the average baseball team is now worth $744 million, which is 23% more than a year ago. Forbes said it is the largest increase since they began calculating each team’s value in 1998.

The Colorado Rockies rank below the D-backs at No. 25, while the San Diego Padres are at No. 18, the San Francisco Giants at No. 7 and the Los Angeles Dodgers at No. 2.

The New York Yankees rank No. 1 overall with a value of $2.3 billion — $700 million more than the second place Dodgers.

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