America’s pastime remains a cherished tradition in all pockets of the United States.
While baseball fans continue to come together through the shared experience of cheering for one’s favorite team, different franchises are favored from one region to the next.
As the 2024 MLB season begins, new data from Vivid Seats explores which teams wield the most fan power in the ballpark by identifying the most popular MLB teams in each county across all 50 states. Data was recorded by tracking the number of tickets sold to a team’s games, from 2021 to present day, per zip code.
According to the data, the Atlanta Braves are the most popular MLB team in the country by county, claiming 549 counties. The St. Louis Cardinals come in at No. 2 with 352 counties, followed by the reigning World Series champion Texas Rangers at 235.
To find the top selling MLB team in your county, according to Vivid Seats’ MLB ticket data from 2021 to present day, view the interactive map below:
America is #ForTheA
The Braves have a unique history cultivating a fan base: Their regular broadcasts on TBS helped introduce them to baseball fans across the country throughout the ‘80s and ‘90s.
Their television history—coupled with a relative lack of competition in other major Southern cities—leaves the Braves as the most popular team in the region and the team claiming the title of “most popular” in the most counties.
In total, 158 counties in Georgia favor the Braves. With a stranglehold on Alabama, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee, their total count of counties in the country is 549.
Stars in Dodger Blue
With Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto sporting Dodger blue this season, the Los Angeles Dodgers are the hottest MLB ticket this season with an average sold price of $140. That’s 115% more than the average sold price to see the Los Angeles Angels, Ohtani’s former team, this season. Given the star-power the Dodgers boast, it comes as no surprise that they are the biggest storyline this season.
Coming off a 100-win season, the Dodgers remain dominant with baseball fans in SoCal, with the Angels only claiming Orange County and the Padres claiming San Diego and Imperial County.
Astros vs. Rangers
It comes as no surprise that the two Lone Star State fan bases are starkly divided in the middle of Texas, with the Astros claiming the south and the Rangers claiming the north.
After winning the World Series last year, the Rangers come is as the third most popular MLB team in the entire country, with 235 counties in total.
The NL Champion Arizona Diamondbacks, who are located 445 miles away from Chase Field, are the favorites in El Paso County.
Rockies Stronghold
The Rockies enjoy a spattering of counties across the region. They dominate their home turf and claim significant territory in Wyoming, Montana, New Mexico and Utah.
The further away you travel from Denver, the more tangled rooting interests become.
Take Lemhi County in Idaho, located 754 miles from Denver. The top team there? The Texas Rangers. Neighboring Idaho County favors the Seattle Mariners. These are sparsely populated counties, located far away from major ballparks. No MLB team has a particularly strong foundation of support.
Red Sox in Florida
Perhaps you can call it the Fenway Effect. Or maybe it’s the presence of former Massachusetts residents who’ve escaped to the Sunshine State for a warmer climate. Or it could be a testament to the team’s enduring popularity amongst baseball fans.
The Red Sox are the top team in two Florida counties: Lee and Collier, located along Florida’s Gulf Coast.
Many New York and New Jersey transplants have stuck with their team allegiances in Florida as well. Excluding ticket sales for spring training games, the New York Mets claim territory in three counties: Indian River, St. Lucie and Union.
Buy MLB Tickets and Get Rewarded
Every time you shop for MLB tickets, you’ll earn Rewards Credit with Vivid Seats Rewards. Buy 10 tickets, get the 11th on us.*