Yankees' latest MLB valuation makes crying poor vs. Dodgers look more pathetic

After losing Juan Soto to Steve Cohen and the crosstown New York Mets, and losing the World Series to the freewheeling (and still reloading) Los Angeles Dodgers, Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner claimed on YES Network, "It's difficult for most of us owners to be able to do the kind of things that [the Dodgers are] doing. We'll see if it pays off."

According to CNBC's latest data, the Yankees don't have a leg to stand on.

Cohen is digging out of a valuation hole, propping up the Mets' reputation with his billions a little bit more fervently everyday. But when it comes to the Yankees and Dodgers, two eternal marquee franchises, Steinbrenner's comments on the realism of carrying a hefty and aggressive payroll hold no water.

In the wake of Forbes' recent $8.2 billion valuation of the Bronx Bombers, CNBC doubled down on MLB's current dichotomy on Friday, releasing their valuation scale and claiming the Yankees at $8 billion. That would make them the third-most valuable United States sports franchise, behind only the Dallas Cowboys ($11 billion) and Golden State Warriors ($9.4 billion).

The Dodgers, outspending the Yankees at every turn and fueling their machine? A still-impressive $5.8 billion, but well behind the team that's repeatedly claimed it "can't do" those "kind of things".

Yankees valued $2+ billion ahead of Dodgers yet again in CNBC's MLB valuation rankings

Thankfully, not every Yankee is in lockstep with Steinbrenner's self-centered assessment. Jazz Chisholm Jr., asked to give his thoughts on his team's "Evil Empire" status during spring training, pushed back on the head honcho's assessment that the Yankees would ever be viewed as second-best or, God forbid, second-rate.

Chisholm bristled at the idea that ownership should ever view the Yankees as a "normal empire" - hilarious framing, but fully accurate here. After all, aren't we one season removed from Brian Cashman claiming he intended to make the Yankees the "mecca of baseball" again? What happened to the "fully operational Death Star"?

The Yankees built a viable roster this offseason under self-imposed constraints. Now, it's time for them to build a brand that encompasses winning at all costs once again.