MLB attendance rises slightly for 3rd straight increase, but average drops with fewer rainouts

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NEW YORK (AP) — Major League Baseball’s overall attendance increased for a third straight season for the first time since 2004-07, but the average dipped slightly because of fewer single-admission doubleheaders caused by weather postponements.

MLB drew 71.41 million fans for 2,423 gates in the regular season that ended Sunday for an average of 29,471. The total was up 0.1% from last year's 71.35 million fans over 2,413 gates.

This year's average of 29,471 was down 0.3% from last year's 29,568, MLB said Monday.

Attendance was depressed by the moves of the Athletics and Tampa Bay Rays to minor league ballparks.

Playing at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento, California, the A's drew a major league-low home attendance of 768,464 for 81 games, an average of 9,487. That was down from a total of 922,286 and an average of 11,529 last year at the Oakland Coliseum.

The A's are planning to have most home games in Sacramento through 2027 while a new stadium is being built in Las Vegas. They have scheduled a six-game homestand at the Triple-A Las Vegas Ballpark next June.

Tampa Bay played home games this season at Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, the spring training home of the New York Yankees, because of damage caused last October by Hurricane Milton to Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg. The Rays drew 786,750 for an average of 9,713, selling out 61 games. Last year, they drew 1,337,739 to the Trop, 28th and ahead of only the Miami Marlins and A's.

They intend to return to the Trop next season.

Six teams topped 3 million, up from five last year but down from eight in 2023.

The reigning World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers reached 4 million for the first time at 4,012,470 for an average of 49,537, up from 3,941,251.

The New York Mets had the biggest increase following the offseason signing of Juan Soto, rising 855,271 to 3,184,570 for their highest total since Citi Field opened in 2009.

After reaching the playoffs last year for the first time since 2014, Detroit increased 555,147 to 2,413,442 for its highest total at Comerica Park since 2016.

St. Louis dropped 628,108 to 2,250,007. The Cardinals haven't made the playoffs since 2022, when they drew 3,320,551.

Falling out of contention early this year, Baltimore drew 1,803,655 to Camden Yards, a drop of 477,474.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb