MLB Attendance Up Nearly 9% in 2023 After Rule Changes; Highest Since 1998

Major League Baseball attendance is increasing at the highest rate it has in more than two decades as fans continue to fill stadium stands this summer.

MLB's attendance is up nearly 9 percent this season, according to MLB Network's Jon Heyman. If that holds, it will be the biggest increase since 1998.

It's possible the league's attendance numbers are up this year as a result of games finally being played in under three hours thanks to new rule changes, such as the pitch clock, banning of the shift and larger bases.

As of May 31, the average time of a nine-inning game was two hours, 39 minutes, per Matt Snyder of CBS Sports. Games had long been more than three hours long prior to the adoption of the pitch clock, among the other rules.

However, the change in performances of several teams has also likely attributed to the uptick in attendance.

The Philadelphia Phillies, who reached the 2022 World Series, have seen their attendance rise 37 percent since last year's All-Star Game, according to David Broughton of Sports Business Journal.

The Tampa Bay Rays, which are expected to be among the top World Series contenders, have seen their attendance rise 28.9 percent since last year's All-Star Game and the Texas Rangers, which are on pace to make the playoffs for the first time since 2016, have seen their attendance rise 18.3 percent in that span.

Other teams to experience a significant increase in attendance this season are the Toronto Blue Jays (17.4 percent), Cincinnati Reds (22.9 percent), Baltimore Orioles (26.6 percent) and Pittsburgh Pirates (29.5 percent)—all of which have incredible young talent such as Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Elly De La Cruz, Adley Rutschman and Oneil Cruz.