The Pirates’ value has surged 28 percent in the past year from $975 million to $1.25 billion, according to an estimate released Tuesday by Forbes. That value ranks No. 17 in Major League Baseball and No. 3 in the National League Central division behind the Chicago Cubs ($2.7 billion) and St. Louis Cardinals ($1.8 billion.)
Forbes staff writer Mike Ozanian, who authored an analysis, said the Pirates’ soon-to-expire television contract with Root Sports accounted for much of the boost, significantly more than the average gain for MLB teams of 19 percent.
“The Pirates are up more than the league average because when they get their next TV deal it should be worth considerably more than the current one,” Ozanian said in an email.