Despite a pandemic-shortened season in which no fans attended games in 2020, the Royals franchise actually went up in value to $1.06 billion according to this year’s annual MLB valuation estimates from Forbes. That represents a 3.4 percent increase from the $1.025 billion estimate from a year ago. An ownership group led by John Sherman purchased the club for $1 billion in the fall of 2019.
Despite collective losses of $1.8 billion last year, Forbes estimates 29 of the 30 clubs increased value, the only exception being the Tampa Bay Rays, despite winning the American League pennant last year.