Minor League Baseball Attendance Down So Far In 2024
Image credit: Jeff Speer/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
So far, attendance across the affiliated minor leagues this season is down slightly from 2023.
At this time last year, the 120 affiliated MiLB teams were averaging 3,877 fans in announced attendance per game. This year, that number has dipped to 3,767 fans per game. By the time last season was complete, teams had upped the overall average to 4,077 fans per game.
Weather does not seem to be a big factor in this modest dip. Teams have lost 216 dates to cancellations so far this year, compared to 231 at this time last year.
Overall, MiLB teams have drawn 13.851 million fans so far in 2024. At the time last year, that total was 13.938 million fans.
By The Numbers
Twenty-six teams have seen a five percent or better improvement when compared to last year’s average attendance, led by eight Class A teams:
| Rank | team | 2024 avg. | 2023 avg. | diff. | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dunedin Blue Jays | 819 | 560 | 259 | 46.25% |
| 2 | Eugene Emeralds | 1,899 | 1,363 | 536 | 39.33% |
| 3 | Beloit Sky Carp | 1,561 | 1,223 | 338 | 27.64% |
| 4 | Tampa Tarpons | 1,050 | 878 | 172 | 19.59% |
| 5 | Hudson Valley Renegades | 2,874 | 2,451 | 423 | 17.26% |
| 6 | Inland Empire 66ers | 2,495 | 2,132 | 363 | 17.03% |
| 7 | Lakeland Flying Tigers | 638 | 556 | 82 | 14.75% |
| 8 | Quad Cities River Bandits | 2,161 | 1,931 | 230 | 11.91% |
| 9 | Norfolk Tides | 6,203 | 5,575 | 628 | 11.26% |
| 10 | Frisco RoughRiders | 6,176 | 5,551 | 625 | 11.26% |
| 11 | Bowie Baysox | 3,941 | 3,548 | 393 | 11.08% |
| 12 | West Michigan Whitecaps | 4,992 | 4,544 | 448 | 9.86% |
| 13 | Hillsboro Hops | 2,066 | 1,889 | 177 | 9.37% |
| 14 | San Jose Giants | 1,925 | 1,769 | 156 | 8.82% |
| 15 | Reading Fightin Phils | 6,397 | 5,886 | 511 | 8.68% |
| 16 | Indianapolis Indians | 7,321 | 6,743 | 578 | 8.57% |
| 17 | Peoria Chiefs | 2,265 | 2,087 | 178 | 8.53% |
| 18 | Fresno Grizzlies | 4,599 | 4,248 | 351 | 8.26% |
| 19 | New Hampshire Fisher Cats | 3,467 | 3,212 | 255 | 7.94% |
| 20 | Charleston RiverDogs | 4,682 | 4,359 | 323 | 7.41% |
There are 44 teams showing a five percent or larger drop in average announced attendance. Here are the bottom 20:
| rank | team | 2024 avg. | 2023 avg. | diff. | % change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Memphis Redbirds | 2,141 | 3,175 | -1,034 | -32.57% |
| 2 | Jupiter Hammerheads | 633 | 896 | -263 | -29.35% |
| 3 | Mississippi Braves | 2,243 | 2,891 | -648 | -22.41% |
| 4 | Cedar Rapids Kernels | 1,751 | 2,230 | -479 | -21.48% |
| 5 | Delmarva Shorebirds | 2,608 | 3,309 | -701 | -21.18% |
| 6 | Binghamton Rumble Ponies | 2,205 | 2,775 | -570 | -20.54% |
| 7 | Palm Beach Cardinals | 664 | 811 | -147 | -18.13% |
| 8 | Brooklyn Cyclones | 2,115 | 2,532 | -417 | -16.47% |
| 9 | Down East Wood Ducks | 1,374 | 1,633 | -259 | -15.86% |
| 10 | Gwinnett Stripers | 2,593 | 3,073 | -480 | -15.62% |
| 11 | Carolina Mudcats | 1,956 | 2,308 | -352 | -15.25% |
| 12 | Stockton Ports | 1,633 | 1,919 | -286 | -14.90% |
| 13 | Rome Emperors | 1,415 | 1,639 | -224 | -13.67% |
| 14 | Birmingham Barons | 3,688 | 4,241 | -553 | -13.04% |
| 15 | Columbia Fireflies | 3,356 | 3,847 | -491 | -12.76% |
| 16 | Aberdeen IronBirds | 1,726 | 1,971 | -245 | -12.43% |
| 17 | Nashville Sounds | 6,847 | 7,814 | -967 | -12.38% |
| 18 | Portland Sea Dogs | 5,096 | 5,792 | -696 | -12.02% |
| 19 | Charlotte Knights | 6,162 | 6,996 | -834 | -11.92% |
| 20 | El Paso Chihuahuas | 6,463 | 7,288 | -825 | -11.32% |
And here’s a look at the top 25 teams in order of average attendance:
| Rank | team | Total Attendance | 2024 avg. | 2023 avg. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dayton Dragons | 265,131 | 8,034 | 7,872 |
| 2 | Lehigh Valley IronPigs | 247,931 | 7,513 | 7,759 |
| 3 | Indianapolis Indians | 241,606 | 7,321 | 6,743 |
| 4 | Richmond Flying Squirrels | 203,243 | 7,008 | 6,672 |
| 5 | Nashville Sounds | 198,553 | 6,847 | 7,814 |
| 6 | Durham Bulls | 244,039 | 6,779 | 6,726 |
| 7 | Columbus Clippers | 222,135 | 6,731 | 7,130 |
| 8 | Albuquerque Isotopes | 256,334 | 6,573 | 6,741 |
| 9 | El Paso Chihuahuas | 232,660 | 6,463 | 7,288 |
| 10 | Worcester Red Sox | 204,945 | 6,405 | 6,844 |
| 11 | Reading Fightin Phils | 211,107 | 6,397 | 5,886 |
| 12 | Las Vegas Aviators | 238,353 | 6,272 | 6,989 |
| 13 | Buffalo Bisons | 193,183 | 6,232 | 6,242 |
| 14 | Norfolk Tides | 198,488 | 6,203 | 5,575 |
| 15 | Frisco RoughRiders | 172,914 | 6,176 | 5,551 |
| 16 | Charlotte Knights | 203,347 | 6,162 | 6,996 |
| 17 | Hartford Yard Goats | 171,372 | 5,909 | 6,083 |
| 18 | Rochester Red Wings | 181,263 | 5,847 | 5,550 |
| 19 | Toledo Mud Hens | 166,926 | 5,564 | 5,333 |
| 20 | Tulsa Drillers | 181,441 | 5,498 | 5,716 |
| 21 | Round Rock Express | 195,778 | 5,438 | 5,682 |
| 22 | St. Paul Saints | 154,479 | 5,327 | 5,249 |
| 23 | Oklahoma City Baseball Club | 153,855 | 5,305 | 5,854 |
| 24 | Amarillo Sod Poodles | 129,022 | 5,161 | 5,298 |
| 25 | Portland Sea Dogs | 163,076 | 5,096 | 5,792 |
