Only in MLB

[SteveA]

The AL MVP (Ohtani) was not in the postseason.  Neither was the 2nd place finisher (Vlad) or the 3rd place finisher (Semien).  Nor was the player generally considered the best in baseball (Trout).

The NL MVP (Harper) was not in the postseason.  Nor was the 2nd place finisher (Soto) or the 3rd place finisher (Tatis).  And Ronald Acuna wasn't either.

TV numbers show that 10+ times more people tune in for postseason baseball than for almost any nationally televised regular season games.

So arguably 8 of the very best players in MLB were not on the national stage in October, which is the ONLY more than a handful of fans watch games not involving their hometown team.  Is it any wonder baseball is losing fans?

I'll bet there are probably 15 to 20 NFL QBs and 30+ NFL players, and similar #s for the NBA, that more American sports fans can pick out of a lineup than they could recognize Trout, Soto, or the majority of baseball's biggest stars.

I don't have an answer but it's depressing.  It is a niche sport with a small number of devoted, fanatic fans like ua.  But in terms of place in the larger American consciousness, MLB is far closer to the NHL than it is to NFL or NBA.

I would guess that the average 20-something person can recognize more MMA fighters or international soccer players than current MLB players.

[Can_of_corn]

12 minutes ago, SteveA said:

The AL MVP (Ohtani) was not in the postseason.  Neither was the 2nd place finisher (Vlad) or the 3rd place finisher (Semien).  Nor was the player generally considered the best in baseball (Trout).

The NL MVP (Harper) was not in the postseason.  Nor was the 2nd place finisher (Soto) or the 3rd place finisher (Tatis).  And Ronald Acuna wasn't either.

TV numbers show that 10+ times more people tune in for postseason baseball than for almost any nationally televised regular season games.

So arguably 8 of the very best players in MLB were not on the national stage in October, which is the ONLY more than a handful of fans watch games not involving their hometown team.  Is it any wonder baseball is losing fans?

I'll bet there are probably 15 to 20 NFL QBs and 30+ NFL players, and similar #s for the NBA, that more American sports fans can pick out of a lineup than they could recognize Trout, Soto, or the majority of baseball's biggest stars.

I don't have an answer but it's depressing.  It is a niche sport with a small number of devoted, fanatic fans like ua.  But in terms of place in the larger American consciousness, MLB is far closer to the NHL than it is to NFL or NBA.

I would guess that the average 20-something person can recognize more MMA fighters or international soccer players than current MLB players.

https://www.statista.com/statistics/1100122/interest-level-baseball-age/

[Frobby]

Well, I don’t think the MVP vote, or the absence of the MVP candidates from the playoffs, has much to do with the decline in baseball’s popularity.   I think it’s more about the pace of play and baseball’s more restrained culture.   

It is interesting though that team success no longer seems to factor in much to the MVP vote.   That was a huge debate for about 20 years but seems to be settled now.   

 

[SteveA]

2 hours ago, Frobby said:

Well, I don’t think the MVP vote, or the absence of the MVP candidates from the playoffs, has much to do with the decline in baseball’s popularity.   I think it’s more about the pace of play and baseball’s more restrained culture.   

It is interesting though that team success no longer seems to factor in much to the MVP vote.   That was a huge debate for about 20 years but seems to be settled now.   

 

I think that the fact that many of the game's biggest stars don't perform on the biggest stage each year absolutely hurts the popularity of the game.   NOBODY watches national TV broadcasts during the season, the ratings are miniscule.   People watch their own local team in large numbers.   That means there are millions of fans who never even see some of the best players play in a given season.  That is not true in any other sport.   I think it makes a difference.

[Frobby]

8 minutes ago, SteveA said:

I think that the fact that many of the game's biggest stars don't perform on the biggest stage each year absolutely hurts the popularity of the game.   NOBODY watches national TV broadcasts during the season, the ratings are miniscule.   People watch their own local team in large numbers.   That means there are millions of fans who never even see some of the best players play in a given season.  That is not true in any other sport.   I think it makes a difference.

I guess my question is, why don’t fans watch the national broadcasts during the regular season?   I’d say it’s because their own home team is playing on local TV at least 6 days a week.   Given my choice, I’m going to watch the Orioles, even if Ohtani is pitching on some other channel.  And if I’m watching at least 6 days a week, I’m probably not spending the occasional off day watching some other game.   

Football is not an everyday thing, so you can watch your own team, then watch a late game and it’s not in competition.  And there are Sunday night, Monday night, Thursday night games that don’t compete with watching your home team play.  

Even in basketball, they only play about 3 games a week so you could watch other games 4 nights a week if you are really into it.

Honestly, in my younger days I watched way more sports than I do now, so I’m not the best barometer.   I follow all the major sports in the newspaper but doesn’t really watch the NBA or even the NFL (except a bit in the playoffs).   I don’t even watch much postseason baseball, just a few innings here and there.  Just waiting for the Orioles to get there before I really tune in.  

 

[Philip]

The problem is that kids don’t play baseball, which means they do not grow up with baseball which means they don’t understand the nuances and details that make baseball interesting. Two kids with a basketball can play basketball, Basketball takes no space at all, and displayed on concrete, which is sadly much more common than grass.

MLB management Really and truly does seem to make all of the wrong decisions when attempting to improve things.

What I don’t understand is the millions of people complaining about baseball and yet salaries go up and up. Somebody’s got to be paying for all this. What happens when they start?

[ExileAngelos]

The good news is they are about the expand the post season to half the league so much better chance the MVP will be participating in the playoffs. Yay!  MLB regular season will mean as much as the NHL.  No reason to watch all that much until the post season.  Sick of expanded playoffs.  Maybe I should start following the Premier League.