Major League Baseball is seeing increased attendance over the 2022 season, including three very strong weekends in a row.

There could be a few reasons for the strong attendance, including:

Impact of Rule Changes

Games are faster this season, down 27 minutes from last year (average of 2 hours and 39 minutes vs. 3 hours and 6 minutes). The pitch clock is largely responsible for this, aided in part by the “two disengagement from the pitching rubber” rule. Also, the accountability for time on both sides (hitters must be ready with eight seconds on the clock) factors in, as batters no longer can step out of the box after every pitch.

The infield shift restriction may be a reason why there are more hits in games in 2023, with an average of 7.2 hits per game this year compared to 6.8 hits per game in 2022. With more hits, there are more runs per game in 2023, with an average of 4.59 runs per team per game in 2023, versus 4.28 last season. Stolen base attempts and success rates have also increased in 2023 (the disengagement rule). Teams are trying to steal .89 times per game this year with a success rate of nearly 80%. Those numbers were .65 and 73% in 2022.

Are fans flocking to games in greater numbers because the pace is faster and there’s more on-field action? That may part of the reason, but the resurgence (and in some cases, unexpected resurgence) of some teams may be a bigger factor.

Teams Doing Better at the Gate

MLB has a few teams outperforming most expectations this season, such as the Cincinnati Reds, Baltimore Orioles, and Pittsburgh Pirates. Fast games and stolen bases are nice, but fans respond to winning baseball. Let’s take a look at a few specifics.

Jul 30, 2021; New York City, New York, USA; Cincinnati Reds second baseman Jonathan India (6) rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run against the New York Mets during the first inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

The Reds averaged 17,477 fans per game in 2022. So far this season, they’ve averaged 21,311, and that will likely increase as exciting players like Elly De La Cruz continue to emerge for the surging Reds. The Pirates, who have been inconsistent yet find themselves in the thick of the postseason race, are up over 3,000 per game over 2022. The surprising Orioles are also up 3,000 fans per game this season. The Rays have drawn almost 4,000 more customers per game this year than last. The Rangers are up 5,000 attendees per game this year, and the Diamondbacks have attracted over 2,000 more through their gates per game in 2023 than they did in 2022. Full attendance figures can be found at ESPN.com.

How about the Mets? So far, about 1,000 more people have gone through the Citi Field turnstiles per game in 2023 than in 2022. This is likely the result of robust ticket sales before the season began, stemming from high expectations after the signings of Justin Verlander, Kodai Senga, and José Quintana.  However, with the team’s recent abysmal play, there may be more empty seats in Queens in the coming months.

While many things have changed in baseball, one thing definitely remains constant. The best way to fill your ballpark is by putting a winning product on the field.