The Astros may have won more games (95) than the Braves (88) during the regular season, but Atlanta outscored Houston in a new analysis of the country’s best baseball cities.
America’s pastime is actually the country’s third most popular sport, according to Gallup, but as the Braves and Astros play for the World Series trophy, watching it is fans’ favorite activity.
To determine the best cities for baseball fans, financial website WalletHub compared 332 of the most populated U.S. cities based on 31 key metrics. Each metric was graded on a 100 point scale, with a score of 100 representing the most favorable conditions for fans. For its analysis, WalletHub chose cities with at least one Major League Baseball (MLB), Minor League Baseball (MiLB) or college baseball (NCAA) team.
So, which cities hit it out of the park? The top two are both home to two MLB teams. New York, where you can find the Mets and the Yankees, finished No. 1 with a score of 57.42. Los Angeles, home of the Dodgers and the Angels, was No. 2 with a score of 52.21.
Atlanta came in at No. 4 overall with a score of 46.64, just behind St. Louis. We were also fourth for the Braves’ performance level.
In addition, the city ranked:
- 29th – performance level of MiLB team(s)
- 97th – performance level of college baseball team(s)
- 12th – average ticket price for MLB game
- 39th – minimum season ticket price for MiLB games
- 4th – MLB fan engagement
- 90th – MiLB fan engagement
Houston placed No. 15 overall, with a score of 34.51. The city ranked No. 17 for the Astros’ performance level.
You can read the full report on WalletHub.com.
