MLB Playoff Openers Kick Off With Mixed Attendance
The Braves and Astros failed to sell out their playoff openers.
The opening games of MLB's playoffs have faced mixed attendance numbers, posing a challenge for the league. On Tuesday, the Atlanta Braves drew a crowd of 30,127 for their wild card victory over the Phillies at Truist Park. This figure falls short of the team's capacity of 41,147 and the city's 2026 regular-season average of 34,573.
A contrasting scenario occurred in Houston, where the White Sox and Astros, playing in late afternoon, saw an announced attendance of 34,011, well below their ballpark's capacity of 40,963. The low turnout was evident in the empty seats, with Astros players expressing their frustration to the media following their 6-3 defeat to Chicago.
Astros reliever Bennett Sousa voiced his displeasure, stating that the team's success in reaching the playoffs warranted more fan support. The Braves and Astros are set to host more daytime wild card games on Wednesday, but they are not the only teams facing this issue. Since 2022, when MLB expanded its playoff field to 12 teams, non-sellout crowds during the wild card round have been frequent, especially in markets with lower attendance rates like Cleveland and Tampa.
The Tampa Rays experienced the lowest non-pandemic playoff attendance in 2023, drawing a crowd of 22,226 for their game against the Rangers. In contrast, night games on Tuesday in New York and San Diego saw full stadiums and enthusiastic fans, particularly after the Yankees and Padres secured victories. The attendance challenges have reignited debates among fans and analysts regarding the potential benefits of moving the first-round playoff games to primetime slots.
This concept was trialed in 1995, when MLB's inaugural wild card season saw all Division Series games start at 8 p.m. ET. However, the public backlash was immediate and strong, leading to the abandonment of the plan for the subsequent seasons. Currently, the staggered start times ensure dedicated broadcast windows for each wild card game, exclusively shown on NBC Sports.
The full account of MLB Playoff Openers Kick Off With Mixed Attendance can be found on Front Office Sports.
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