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Washington NationalsLerner family · since 2006
Payroll data through2026
Value 2026$2.15BPayroll rank25 of 30Spending index57.7
Washington Nationals Ownership
Owner: Lerner family · since 2006 · NL East
Budget generosity44near the median
Patience37quick to change
Win-now or build43balanced
Last five seasons-5.0 a yeartightening
- Lerner family: over 20 seasons (2007 to 2026) the club paid on average 0.92 times the league median payroll and ranked 17.2 on average. Best payroll rank 5th (2015, 2018); worst 28th (2007).
- Last five seasons (2022 to 2026): 0.66 times the median, average rank 23.6.
- The club named 4.7 new managers per ten seasons (2007 to 2025); the league average over the same seasons was 3.7.
- After a losing season (win percentage under 0.480) the spending index moved -2.7 points on average, across 10 such seasons.
Scores run 0 to 100 and describe what the club did under this owner: budget generosity is payroll relative to the league median (50 is the median, 100 is double); patience is how rarely the club changes managers; win-now or build is whether payroll rose or fell after a losing season. They are our summary of public numbers, not a judgment of a person.
- Owner
- Lerner family
- Principals
- Ted Lerner, Mark Lerner
- Owner since
- 2006
- Reported price
- $450 million
- Forbes value (2026)
- $2.15B
- Revenue
- $215M
- Operating income
- Loss of $15M
- Payroll 2026
- $101.6M, rank 25 of 30
- Seasons over the tax line, 2003 to 2025
- 2
- Tax paid 2022 to 2025
- $0
| # | Owner or group | Seasons | Type | Reported price | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Charles Bronfman (Montreal Expos) | 1985 to 1990 | individual | Not public | |
| 2 | Claude Brochu consortium (Montreal Expos) | 1991 to 1999 | group | Not public | Sale price was C$100 million; no US dollar figure is given. |
| 3 | Jeffrey Loria (Montreal Expos) | 2000 to 2001 | individual | Not public | The source dates the sale to 1999; Loria's first season in charge was 2000. |
| 4 | Major League Baseball | 2002 to 2005 | league | Not public | The league owned the club through its move to Washington for 2005. |
| 5 | Lerner family Ted Lerner, Mark Lerner | 2006 to now | family | $450 million | Ted Lerner took over in mid-2006; his son Mark became the public-facing principal owner in 2018. |
| List year | Value | Revenue | Operating income |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $2.15B | $215M | -$15M |
| 2025 | $2.1B | $325M | $0M |
| 2024 | Data pending | Data pending | Data pending |
| 2023 | $2B | $356M | $45M |
| 2022 | $2B | $322M | $36M |
| 2021 | $1.9B | Not listed | Not listed |
| 2020 | $1.9B | Not listed | Not listed |
| 2019 | $1.8B | Not listed | Not listed |
| 2018 | $1.7B | Not listed | Not listed |
| 2017 | $1.6B | Not listed | Not listed |
| 2016 | $1.3B | Not listed | Not listed |
| 2015 | $1.3B | Not listed | Not listed |
| 2014 | $700M | Not listed | Not listed |
| 2013 | $631M | Not listed | Not listed |
- 1Charles Bronfman (Montreal Expos) 1985 to 1990
- 2Claude Brochu consortium (Montreal Expos) 1991 to 1999
- 3Jeffrey Loria (Montreal Expos) 2000 to 2001
- 4Major League Baseball 2002 to 2005
- 5Lerner family 2006 to now
| Season | Owner | Payroll | Rank | Index | Payroll share of revenue | Record | Playoffs | Over tax line |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 5 | $101.6M | 25 of 30 | 57.7 | 77-85 | No | ||
| 2025 | 5 | $100.2M | 25 of 30 | 62.2 | 46.6% | 66-96 | No | No |
| 2024 | 5 | $107.1M | 23 of 30 | 66.7 | 33.0% | 71-91 | No | No |
| 2023 | 5 | $93.4M | 25 of 30 | 58.6 | 71-91 | No | No | |
| 2022 | 5 | $126.8M | 20 of 30 | 84.4 | 35.6% | 55-107 | No | No |
| 2021 | 5 | $144.0M | 14 of 30 | 107.7 | 44.7% | 65-97 | No | No |
| 2020 | 5 | $75.1M | 7 of 30 | 117.5 | 26-34* | No | No | |
| 2019 | 5 | $172.3M | 7 of 30 | 122.7 | 93-69 | Yes | No | |
| 2018 | 5 | $181.4M | 5 of 30 | 128.5 | 82-80 | No | Yes | |
| 2017 | 5 | $182.2M | 6 of 30 | 128.6 | 97-65 | Yes | Yes | |
| 2016 | 5 | $139.4M | 15 of 30 | 103.6 | 95-67 | Yes | No | |
| 2015 | 5 | $165.7M | 5 of 30 | 140.2 | 83-79 | No | No | |
| 2014 | 5 | $143.3M | 8 of 30 | 129.7 | 96-66 | Yes | No | |
| 2013 | 5 | $116.6M | 11 of 30 | 116.5 | 86-76 | No | No | |
| 2012 | 5 | $96.2M | 17 of 30 | 98.1 | 98-64 | Yes | No | |
| 2011 | 5 | $72.7M | 23 of 30 | 76.7 | 80-81 | No | No | |
| 2010 | 5 | $48.5M | 27 of 30 | 59.0 | 69-93 | No | No | |
| 2009 | 5 | $59.9M | 27 of 30 | 73.9 | 59-103 | No | No | |
| 2008 | 5 | $55.0M | 26 of 30 | 68.7 | 59-102 | No | No | |
| 2007 | 5 | $36.9M | 28 of 30 | 43.7 | 73-89 | No | No | |
| 2006 | 5 (sale year) | $63.1M | 20 of 30 | 87.7 | 71-91 | No | No | |
| 2005 | 4 | $48.6M | 23 of 30 | 73.4 | 81-81 | No | No | |
| 2004 | 4 | $40.9M | 26 of 30 | 65.6 | 67-95 | No | No | |
| 2003 | 4 | $51.9M | 20 of 30 | 75.3 | 83-79 | No | No | |
| 2002 | 4 | $38.7M | 29 of 30 | 63.3 | 83-79 | No | ||
| 2001 | 3 | $35.2M | 28 of 30 | 54.9 | 68-94 | No | ||
| 2000 | 3 | $33.0M | 24 of 30 | 58.4 | 67-95 | No | ||
| 1999 | 2 | $17.9M | 30 of 30 | 36.0 | 68-94 | No | ||
| 1998 | 2 | $10.6M | 30 of 30 | 25.1 | 65-97 | No | ||
| 1997 | 2 | $19.3M | 26 of 28 | 46.1 | 78-84 | No | ||
| 1996 | 2 | $16.3M | 28 of 28 | 48.3 | 88-74 | No | ||
| 1995 | 2 | $12.4M | 28 of 28 | 36.0 | 66-78 | No | ||
| 1994 | 2 | $19.1M | 27 of 28 | 57.8 | 74-40 | No | ||
| 1993 | 2 | $18.9M | 26 of 28 | 55.8 | 94-68 | No | ||
| 1992 | 2 | $15.8M | 24 of 26 | 51.7 | 87-75 | No | ||
| 1991 | 2 | $10.7M | 26 of 26 | 46.4 | 71-90 | No | ||
| 1990 | 1 | $16.6M | 15 of 26 | 94.3 | 85-77 | No | ||
| 1989 | 1 | $13.8M | 15 of 26 | 94.7 | 81-81 | No | ||
| 1988 | 1 | $9.6M | 18 of 26 | 77.9 | 81-81 | No | ||
| 1987 | 1 | $6.9M | 23 of 26 | 61.5 | 91-71 | No | ||
| 1986 | 1 | $11.1M | 15 of 26 | 96.7 | 78-83 | No | ||
| 1985 | 1 | $9.5M | 16 of 26 | 94.1 | 84-77 | No |
Owner numbers match the ownership list. Payroll is nominal dollars. * 2020 was a 60-game season. Payroll share of revenue exists for 2021, 2022, 2024 and 2025 only. The tax-line column stops at 2025 because 2026 tax bills are not known until December. How the index is built.
No owner stories are published for this club yet.
More on this club: Washington Nationals team page and payroll history.