Technically the Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers already kicked off the 2025 baseball campaign last week with two games in Tokyo, but the other 26 teams open the season on March 27. Opening Day marks a moment of transition, as teams shift from doling out millions — in some cases hundreds of millions — of dollars to free agents, to taking in billions of dollars from TV contracts, ticket and concession sales, and other revenue sources.
More money than ever is flowing through Major League Baseball — last year, MLB reported a record of $12.1 billion in revenue for the 2024 season, exceeding the prior year’s $11.6 billion. And so far, teams have committed $4.4 billion in salaries for their active rosters, up from $3.2 billion in 2024.
But that only tells part of the story about the role of money in baseball — the league and team owners have contributed millions to political campaigns over the years.
Commissioner’s Office PAC
As with many organizations, MLB has its own political action committee, through which it raises and spends money to elect and defeat candidates.
During the 2024 election cycle, the MLB Commissioner’s Office PAC received 151 large contributions, raising a total of $465,000. It contributed $246,000 to federal candidates during the cycle, giving 51 percent of the money to Republicans, marking the first time since 2016 that the PAC contributed more to Republicans than Democrats. The amount donated to Republican campaigns during that cycle more than doubled the amount contributed in 2020.
Two weeks into 2021, MLB announced that it would be halting its donations to both parties in the wake of the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol. At the time, the league told the Associated Press it was “re-evaluating our political giving policies.” But in the 2024 cycle, the PAC contributed to the campaigns of eight House Republicans who had previously voted to overturn the 2020 election results: Virginia Foxx (N.C.), John Joyce (Pa.), August Pfluger (Texas), Guy Reschenthaler (Pa.), Steve Scalise (La.), David Schweikert (Ariz.), Jason Smith (Mo.) and Lloyd Smucker (Pa.).
The wealthiest owner in baseball
Steven Cohen, the owner of the New York Mets, is among the wealthiest sports team owners in the United States. According to Forbes, the hedge fund owner and investor’s net worth is estimated at $21.3 billion, ranking him among the 100 wealthiest people in the world. Cohen founded and runs the hedge fund firm Point72 Asset Management. He previously ran another hedge fund firm, SAC Capital, but after the firm pleaded guilty to insider trading charges and he was fined $1.8 billion in penalties, Cohen had to shut it down.
Cohen bought the Mets in 2020 for almost $2.5 billion. Cohen and his wife, Alexandra Garcia, have contributed predominantly to the Republican Party and its candidates — although they have shifted their giving patterns over the past few years. From 2004 to 2024, they donated more than $11.1 million, with just $414,100 going to Democrats. But since the start of 2023, Cohen has contributed $190,800 with the largest contribution going to the Victory Fund PAC ($150,000), which is affiliated with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.).
Before buying the Mets, Cohen tried to purchase the Dodgers. But Mark Walter outbid Cohen, and his offer of $2.1 billion “was almost double the amount anyone had ever spent for a sports team [at that time].” Now Cohen is the majority owner of the Mets and his team has become one of the biggest spenders in the league: In December, the Mets signed Juan Soto to a record-breaking 15-year deal worth $765 million.
The other billionaires
John Fisher, the billionaire owner of the Athletics and son of Gap Inc. founders Donald and Doris Fisher, has a long history of funneling money into California politics. In 2022, he donated $1.2 million to No on 30, a ballot measure committee organized to oppose Proposition 30, a proposed tax on wealthy Californians to subsidize electric vehicle usage. That was not the first time he put his money towards ballot measures: He donated $800,000 in 2006 to Stop the Reiner Initiative No on 82, a PAC opposed to Proposition 82, which would have guaranteed preschool to every 4-year-old in the state. Both propositions ultimately failed to pass.
Fisher has also spent millions to influence state and federal elections. From 2010 to 2012, he shelled out $5 million to a dark money group opposed to President Barack Obama. Fisher’s mother and brothers contributed an additional $5 million. He has also donated hundreds of thousands to the National Republican Senatorial Committee. While he has mostly given to conservative causes, he also has spent money to support Democratic candidates over the years. In 2023, Fisher and his brothers William and Robert together donated over $75,000 to a PAC supporting Gavin Newsom for governor of California.
Ray Davis, the billionaire co-owner of the Texas Rangers and former CEO of Energy Transfer Partners, is a longtime donor to the Republican Party and its candidates. He contributed $407,000 to a joint fundraising committee supporting Donald Trump’s reelection in 2024, and $400,000 of that was distributed to the Republican National Committee in June of that year. In 2015, he supported Jeb Bush’s run for the Republican presidential nomination with a $100,000 donation to his Right to Rise super PAC. He has donated more than a half a million dollars to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s campaigns over the years.
Davis, who rarely grants interviews and is considered somewhat reclusive, has seen his investment in the Rangers pay off: He bought the team for $593 million in 2010 and transformed it from bankruptcy to a first-time World Series champion in 2023 with an estimated value of more than $2 billion.
The biggest donor
Charles Johnson is the principal owner of the San Francisco Giants, owning 26 percent of the team. Johnson was the CEO of the investment management firm Franklin Templeton Investments and his net worth is estimated at $4.8 billion.
Johnson and his wife, Ann, contributed $24 million to political parties and PACs over the past two decades — with nearly all of it going to the Republican Party and GOP candidates. The Johnsons contributed $10,500 to just one Democratic candidate: Rep. Jackie Speier (Calif.).
Johnson’s reputation took a hit when he contributed $1,000 to a PAC that created a racist radio ad in Arkansas in 2018. That same year, Mississippi Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R) caused controversy when she said would be in the “front row” for a public hanging. Johnson and his wife had donated $5,400 to her campaign. He asked for both these donations back and condemned the incidents.
Johnson again asked for refunds in 2021, that time for his donations to candidates who attempted to overturn the 2020 election results. He never received a refund and kept donating to election deniers, reporting by SFGate and government records show. In 2024, Johnson donated $25,000 to Turning Point PAC, which was founded by far-right political activist Charlie Kirk.
The owner of the World Series champs
Walter, the CEO of investment firm Guggenheim Capital Value, has been the chairman and controlling owner of the Dodgers since 2012. He is also an investor in the Los Angeles Lakers and the Premier League’s Chelsea Football Club. Forbes estimates his net worth at $6.1 billion. When Los Angeles was hit by heavy wildfires in early 2025, the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation announced it would donate $100 million to recovery efforts.
Walter solely contributes to the Democratic Party and the Major League Baseball Commissioner’s Office PAC. In 2011, Walter donated $30,800 to the Democratic National Committee Services Corporation and $5,000 to Obama For America PAC. He contributed $7,500 to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and $7,500 to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in 2013.
Under Walter’s chairmanship, the Dodgers have won two World Series championships, in 2020 and 2024.
The owner of the most valuable team
The New York Yankees are owned by Yankee Global Enterprises, controlled by the Steinbrenner family. The late George Steinbrenner, together with other investors, purchased the Yankees in 1973 for $10 million. A year later, Steinbrenner pleaded guilty to making illegal contributions to President Richard Nixon’s 1972 reelection campaign. He received a fine and brief suspension from the major leagues, but was later pardoned by President Ronald Reagan.
His son Harold “Hal” Steinbrenner became chairman and managing general partner of the team in 2010 after his father died. The New York Yankees are the most valuable team in baseball, estimated at $7.55 billion, according to Forbes.
Hal Steinbrenner’s net worth is valued at $1.6 billion. The family owns 20 percent of MLS’s New York City FC and 10 percent of Italian soccer club AC Milan.
According to FEC data, George Steinbrenner donated to both the Republican and Democratic parties, with his largest contribution of $15,000 going to the Democratic Congressional Dinner Committee in 1990. He also donated $10,000 to the Republican Party of Florida in 2006. He contributed smaller amounts to Rudolph Giuliani, John McCain and Hillary Clinton’s campaigns.
Hal Steinbrenner contributed $14,900 to McCain-aligned PACs in 2008, and $4,800 to the Friends of Schumer PAC in 2009. The rest of his contributions have solely gone to the Major League Baseball PAC.
This post was originally published on here
