Major League Baseball is off to a historically strong start at the gates, giving initial support to preseason expectations of a third straight attendance increase in 2025.
The league ended April with an average per-game attendance of 27,261, MLB’s best mark at the end of that month since 2017. Heading into the season, MLB executives had high hopes for another increase, which would create the first three-year streak of gains since 2005–2007. The early 2025 results, however, give a further dose of encouragement as several teams in the Northeast and Midwest were either flat or down in attendance by mid-April, but have since seen much stronger crowds as game temperatures have warmed considerably.
Running about 1.3% ahead of last year’s attendance pace, MLB will look to build on that as higher-attended summer games approach.
As was the case in both 2024 and 2023, MLB’s attendance momentum stems from several factors, including strong reception for the pitch clock and more action-filled style of play introduced two years ago, the broad appeal of major stars such as the Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani and Yankees’ Aaron Judge, and a historic influx of young stars such as the Pirates’ Paul Skenes and Reds’ Elly De La Cruz.
Team Issues
Not surprisingly, the Dodgers again lead the league in attendance with an average of more than 51,364 per game, as they are the defending World Series champions, play in the league’s largest stadium, and have been the league attendance leader for more than a decade.
The biggest story at the gate this year, however, may be at Citi Field as the Mets are up by more than 56% to 36,198 per game, by far MLB’s largest increase. The Mets’ total has been boosted heavily by the arrival of Juan Soto in a record-setting free-agent contract worth $765 million, as well as a hot start on the field that has led to the league’s second-best record behind the Dodgers.
Even some struggling teams, however, such as the Rockies, are pacing ahead of 2024 in attendance. MLB is also posting its numbers with both the A’s and Rays playing in minor-league parks this season. The A’s are up sharply in attendance at Sacramento’s Sutter Health Park after the meager final-season showing in Oakland, while the Rays are having a variety of issues at Tampa’s George M. Steinbrenner Field.
The league will get another big boost in attendance in August with the MLB Speedway Classic, a special-event game at the Bristol Motor Speedway in Tennessee that will generate the largest single-game crowd of the year.
