NL West Leads MLB Attendance At AL Central Lags
After twelve victories apiece in the last 24 World Series, the American League and National League have divided equally. In terms of attendance, however, the latter outweighs the former.
Seven of the eight MLB teams with the highest average home attendance as of May 30 are in the NL West, while seven of the nine lowest teams are in the AL Central. The average attendance for NL teams is 30,557 per game, compared to just 23,784 for AL teams.
While the disparity is not new—NL teams have seen an increase in attendance on average over the last 20 seasons—it is still widening. It’s the biggest lead the NL has had in that time.
The NL West and the AL Central are the two divisions that account for the majority of the difference, according to a detailed examination of the data.
A look at the 2024 Pecota Projections for NL and AL!
Since 2006, the NL West has been the top division in terms of attendance each season. Since overtaking the New York Yankees to become baseball’s most successful regular-season team, the Los Angeles Dodgers have consistently generated the biggest attendance figures in the league for over ten years.
The signings of free agent pitchers Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Shohei Ohtani during the offseason could help them maintain their advantage in the upcoming seasons.
Once ranked in the bottom half of the major league ranks as recently as 2018, the San Diego Padres have risen to second place in attendance among big league teams. In contrast, despite their lack of on-field success in recent years, the Colorado Rockies‘ fans have constantly turned out to support their club.
Attendance for the Arizona Diamondbacks has increased in 2024, one season after riding the moneyball comet that happens once every ten years or so all the way to the World Series. Even though attendance in MLB is down 7% overall from the previous year, the Diamondbacks rank 13th with 29,936 fans per game, a 24% gain.
The AL Central is situated at the opposite extreme of the spectrum. The Minnesota Twins (23rd), Detroit Tigers (24th), Kansas City Royals (26th), Chicago White Sox (27th), and Kansas City Guardians (22nd) are the next highest-ranked teams in the division.
- The contrast between these two groups teaches us that if you build it, people will come.
In 2024 and 2023, respectively, the Dodgers and Padres made the two biggest offseason expenditure commitments in MLB history. As per Spotrac, all 16 NL West teams have payrolls that rank in the top 16, with the Rockies having the lowest total at $145.8 million.
As opposed to that, the White Sox, who spend $136.3 million and rank 18th in the majors, are the highest-spending team in the AL Central.
- True as well: People won’t come if you don’t build it.
The Oakland Athletics are the team to look at, as they have the lowest payroll in Major League Baseball and draw an average of fewer spectators than teams in collegiate wrestling programs and minor league hockey.
