On Tuesday, Major League Baseball’s postseason got its first thrilling moment when Austin Riley launched a go-ahead three-run home run in the eighth inning, securing a 5-3 victory for the Atlanta Braves over the Philadelphia Phillies. Truist Park provided an electric atmosphere — or at least it did for the spectators who managed to attend, according to cdispatch.com.
Empty Seats at Truist Park and Daikin Park Highlight Wild Card Challenges
This week’s Wild Card Series afternoon matchups in Atlanta and Houston have featured an apparent volume of unoccupied seats. Game 1 at Daikin Park, which falls well short of its 41,168-seat limit.
Out of 26 daytime Wild Card Series matchups played through Tuesday since Major League Baseball permanently shifted to a 12-team postseason format in 2022, a mere six have managed to sell out or exceed capacity.
Crowds Improve Slightly for Wednesday Matchups
Attendance ticked upward as the series progressed into midweek. Game 2 of the Braves-Phillies series drew an announced crowd of 37,150, while Game 2 of the matchup between the Houston Astros and Chicago White Sox brought in 36,015 fans, according to cdispatch.com.
The primary hurdle for day games remains straightforward. It is difficult for fans to attend afternoon contests during the week in late September and October because adults must work and children are back in school, a situation compounded by game times being announced with only a few days of notice.
Players and Managers React to the Empty Seats
Participants on the field offered mixed reactions to the sparse daytime crowds.
“I don’t think anybody on our team is really focused on how many people are showing up here,” Bohm said. “It’s just kind of — I think, like you said, it’s a 2 o’clock game in the middle of the week, so I think that might have something to do with it. That doesn’t take away from what’s going on on the field and kind of the stakes of all that in our minds.”
Astros manager Joe Espada addressed the atmosphere after the game.
“I do want our fans to know that we love them and we need them,” Espada said. “They’re part of what we are trying to accomplish here. They’re part of our family.”
Staggered Postseason Times Maximize Television Viewership
Major League Baseball schedules its wild-card games across different daytime windows on purpose to capture the largest possible television audience and secure dedicated viewing blocks. NBC pays the league roughly $200 million per year to host Sunday Night Baseball and the Wild Card Series under a three-year agreement reached in November, cdispatch.com reported.
This scheduling pattern has precedent in recent postseason history. All three American League Wild Card Series games in Cleveland last year between the Guardians and Detroit Tigers started at 1:08 p.m., with none drawing more than 30,000 fans. The Tampa Bay Rays drew just 19,704 fans for an opening game against Texas in 2023 that started at 3:08 p.m., marking the lowest attendance for a non-COVID MLB postseason game since the 1919 World Series.
Frequently Asked Questions About Postseason Attendance
Why are MLB Wild Card Series afternoon games scheduled during the work week?
MLB spaces its wild-card matchups across the day on purpose to give each contest its own exclusive television window. This strategy maximizes the viewing audience for broadcasting partners like NBC, which pays approximately $200 million annually for rights including the Wild Card Series.
How low has postseason attendance dropped since the 2022 playoff expansion?
Out of 26 afternoon Wild Card Series games played through Tuesday under the 12-team bracket format, only six reached or exceeded stadium capacity. Research from Sportradar shows that seven games failed to reach 85% capacity, with the Braves-Phillies game hitting a low of 73.2% full.
What was the lowest non-COVID postseason attendance prior to this week?
The Tampa Bay Rays drew just 19,704 fans for an American League Wild Card Series opener against Texas in 2023 that started at 3:08 p.m. That figure stands as the lowest attendance for a non-COVID MLB postseason game since the 1919 World Series.
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