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Detroit TigersIlitch family (Christopher Ilitch) · since 2017
Payroll data through2026
Value 2026$1.8BPayroll rank11 of 30Spending index114.8
Detroit Tigers Ownership
Owner: Ilitch family (Christopher Ilitch) · since 2017 · AL Central
Budget generosity41near the median
Patience48typical
Win-now or build26build
Last five seasons+6.8 a yearloosening
- Ilitch family (Christopher Ilitch): over 10 seasons (2017 to 2026) the club paid on average 0.88 times the league median payroll and ranked 18 on average. Best payroll rank 5th (2017); worst 26th (2024).
- Last five seasons (2022 to 2026): 0.88 times the median, average rank 18.4.
- The club named 3.3 new managers per ten seasons (2017 to 2025); the league average over the same seasons was 3.2.
- After a losing season (win percentage under 0.480) the spending index moved -9.5 points on average, across 6 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
- Ilitch family (Christopher Ilitch)
- Principals
- Christopher Ilitch
- Owner since
- 2017
- Reported price
- Data pending
- Forbes value (2026)
- $1.8B
- Revenue
- $363M
- Operating income
- $27M
- Payroll 2026
- $202.1M, rank 11 of 30
- Seasons over the tax line, 2003 to 2025
- 3
- Tax paid 2022 to 2025
- $0
| # | Owner or group | Seasons | Type | Reported price | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tom Monaghan | 1984 to 1992 | individual | $53 million | |
| 2 | Mike Ilitch | 1993 to 2016 | individual | $82 million | Mike Ilitch died February 10, 2017 |
| 3 | Ilitch family (Christopher Ilitch) | 2017 to now | family | Not public |
| List year | Value | Revenue | Operating income |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $1.8B | $363M | $27M |
| 2025 | $1.55B | $320M | $30M |
| 2024 | Data pending | Data pending | Data pending |
| 2023 | $1.45B | $260M | -$26M |
| 2022 | $1.4B | $268M | $31M |
| 2021 | $1.3B | Not listed | Not listed |
| 2020 | $1.3B | Not listed | Not listed |
| 2019 | $1.3B | Not listed | Not listed |
| 2018 | $1.2B | Not listed | Not listed |
| 2017 | $1.2B | Not listed | Not listed |
| 2016 | $1.2B | Not listed | Not listed |
| 2015 | $1.1B | Not listed | Not listed |
| 2014 | $680M | Not listed | Not listed |
| 2013 | $643M | Not listed | Not listed |
- 1Tom Monaghan 1984 to 1992
- 2Mike Ilitch 1993 to 2016
- 3Ilitch family (Christopher Ilitch) 2017 to now
| Season | Owner | Payroll | Rank | Index | Payroll share of revenue | Record | Playoffs | Over tax line |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 3 | $202.1M | 11 of 30 | 114.8 | 76-86 | No | ||
| 2025 | 3 | $155.5M | 17 of 30 | 96.5 | 42.9% | 87-75 | Yes | No |
| 2024 | 3 | $98.6M | 26 of 30 | 61.4 | 30.8% | 86-76 | Yes | No |
| 2023 | 3 | $121.5M | 20 of 30 | 76.2 | 78-84 | No | No | |
| 2022 | 3 | $136.2M | 18 of 30 | 90.7 | 52.4% | 66-96 | No | No |
| 2021 | 3 | $86.3M | 24 of 30 | 64.6 | 32.2% | 77-85 | No | No |
| 2020 | 3 | $43.2M | 22 of 30 | 67.6 | 23-35* | No | No | |
| 2019 | 3 | $114.6M | 20 of 30 | 81.6 | 47-114 | No | No | |
| 2018 | 3 | $131.0M | 17 of 30 | 92.8 | 64-98 | No | No | |
| 2017 | 3 | $188.8M | 5 of 30 | 133.3 | 64-98 | No | Yes | |
| 2016 | 2 | $200.2M | 4 of 30 | 148.8 | 86-75 | No | Yes | |
| 2015 | 2 | $162.2M | 6 of 30 | 137.2 | 74-87 | No | No | |
| 2014 | 2 | $172.1M | 4 of 30 | 155.9 | 90-72 | Yes | No | |
| 2013 | 2 | $157.3M | 5 of 30 | 157.2 | 93-69 | Yes | No | |
| 2012 | 2 | $143.8M | 5 of 30 | 146.7 | 88-74 | Yes | No | |
| 2011 | 2 | $111.5M | 12 of 30 | 117.7 | 95-67 | Yes | No | |
| 2010 | 2 | $106.8M | 7 of 30 | 130.0 | 81-81 | No | No | |
| 2009 | 2 | $115.1M | 5 of 30 | 142.0 | 86-77 | No | No | |
| 2008 | 2 | $137.7M | 3 of 30 | 172.2 | 74-88 | No | Yes | |
| 2007 | 2 | $94.8M | 9 of 30 | 112.0 | 88-74 | No | No | |
| 2006 | 2 | $82.6M | 14 of 30 | 114.8 | 95-67 | Yes | No | |
| 2005 | 2 | $69.1M | 15 of 30 | 104.4 | 71-91 | No | No | |
| 2004 | 2 | $46.8M | 23 of 30 | 75.1 | 72-90 | No | No | |
| 2003 | 2 | $49.2M | 25 of 30 | 71.3 | 43-119 | No | No | |
| 2002 | 2 | $55.0M | 20 of 30 | 90.1 | 55-106 | No | ||
| 2001 | 2 | $53.4M | 20 of 30 | 83.5 | 66-96 | No | ||
| 2000 | 2 | $58.3M | 15 of 30 | 103.0 | 79-83 | No | ||
| 1999 | 2 | $36.5M | 21 of 30 | 73.3 | 69-92 | No | ||
| 1998 | 2 | $24.1M | 26 of 30 | 56.7 | 65-97 | No | ||
| 1997 | 2 | $17.3M | 27 of 28 | 41.3 | 79-83 | No | ||
| 1996 | 2 | $23.4M | 22 of 28 | 69.6 | 53-109 | No | ||
| 1995 | 2 | $37.0M | 11 of 28 | 107.8 | 60-84 | No | ||
| 1994 | 2 | $41.4M | 5 of 28 | 125.4 | 53-62 | No | ||
| 1993 | 2 | $38.2M | 10 of 28 | 112.6 | 85-77 | No | ||
| 1992 | 1 | $27.3M | 19 of 26 | 89.3 | 75-87 | No | ||
| 1991 | 1 | $23.8M | 10 of 26 | 103.0 | 84-78 | No | ||
| 1990 | 1 | $17.6M | 13 of 26 | 100.0 | 79-83 | No | ||
| 1989 | 1 | $15.1M | 10 of 26 | 103.9 | 59-103 | No | ||
| 1988 | 1 | $12.9M | 10 of 26 | 104.3 | 88-74 | No | ||
| 1987 | 1 | $12.1M | 9 of 26 | 107.4 | 98-64 | Yes | ||
| 1986 | 1 | $12.3M | 11 of 26 | 107.4 | 87-75 | No | ||
| 1985 | 1 | $10.3M | 12 of 26 | 102.9 | 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: Detroit Tigers team page and payroll history.