The 2023 MLB season has been a rollercoaster ride thus far. With divisive new rules and a faster-paced brand of baseball, the league is only evolving. Furthermore, star players like Shohei Ohtani, Ronald Acuna Jr., and more have hyped up the sport this season. So much so that a sport, which was considered a “dying sport” in America, has witnessed a monumental rise in popularity.
One factor that has made the season interesting is the unexpected rise and fall of teams. The New York Mets, New York Yankees, and San Diego Padres have surprised the MLB world with their poor performances. Whereas the Cincinnati Reds and Baltimore Orioles are two of the teams that have seemingly exceeded expectations.
MLB attendance has risen by 9% this year, a number that has not been seen since 1998
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1998 was a special season. It had one of the most exciting baseball feats in recent MLB history. Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire were fighting it out for the home run title and the single-season home run record. This led to a massive rise in attendance from the previous year and revived baseball interest in some ways. In the MLB?s latest season, there has been a meteoric rise of 9% in attendance. This would be the largest increase since that 1998 season, a massive achievement for the League. MLB Insider Ben Verlander shared the latest update on Twitter.?
MLB Attendance is up 9 PERCENT this season!!
Incredible. Would be the biggest jump in attendance since the 1998 Sammy Sosa/Mark McGwire HR chase.
Baseball 📈📈📈 pic.twitter.com/DVqiV1fJ4z
— Ben Verlander (@BenVerlander) July 28, 2023
In a Tweet, he said, ?MLB Attendance is up 9 PERCENT this season!! Incredible. Would be the biggest jump in attendance since the 1998 Sammy Sosa/Mark McGwire HR chase. Baseball?. A massive positive for baseball as fans are seemingly packing the stadium more than last year.
Read More: Baseball Enthusiasts Challenge Renowned MLB Journalist?s Explanation for Rising Ballpark Attendance
One factor has been MLB?s latest rule changes that helped set a staggering record earlier this year. The pitch clock has shortened the game, and now fans are more likely to watch live. Let?s have a look at what fans are saying about this mammoth rise.?
Fans are saying that the game is more exciting
Supporters have reacted and said that the game is much more exciting to watch now. Some people attributed it to the pitch clock, while others mentioned Shohei Ohtani as the reason. Some fans said that the game is more exciting today.?
More teams in the playoff hunt, shorter games, more steals, batting average higher(probably due to saying bye to the shift), universal DH, interleague play, players allowed to celebrate……Anything else? Yes the game is more fun and interesting.
— All Sports Detroit 2023 (@AllSportsDet) July 28, 2023
It’s truly so awesome to see. The sport is finally seeing new heights 🙏🏼
— Walker 🐶 (@Braves2Dawgs) July 28, 2023
Other fans called Ohtani the reason for this increased attendance.?
Ohtani Effect..everybody wants to see something more rare than the Halley’s Comet ☄️
— Miri Kaku (@KakuMiri) July 28, 2023
thanks to shohei
— sachi azuma (@azumasachi111) July 28, 2023
More fans lauded the achievement and called it great for baseball.?
I think that the pitcher-batter clock has had a big impact.
— Bill Kline (@habillnero) July 28, 2023
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Now baseball is becoming more popular!
— Esmarch (@esmarch12) July 28, 2023
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The MLB has grown in live attendance this year, but there is still time for the 9% to grow further. What do you think of this year being the first time that 9% has been reached since 1998??
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