Despite the weather in some parts of the country, spring is here. That means Major League Baseball just threw its its first pitch of the season. As the league noted last fall when it announced this season’s schedule, this will be the first Opening Day in 50 years to feature a full slate of games with all 30 teams.
The final day of the 2018 regular season is scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 30 — which suggests the World Series might not spill over into November. Who likes to see baseball players wearing ski caps, anyway?
Here are 30 other numbers to keep in mind as ballparks begin heating up for another summer of action. (Thanks to many sources, including our friends at WalletHub, for these figures).
- 10 billion: Estimated revenue, in dollars, Major League Baseball generated in 2017
- 14 billion: Estimated revenue, in dollars, the National Football League generated in 2017
- 15: Number of consecutive years MLB has seen record gross revenues.
- 72,670,423: Paid attendance at all Major League Baseball games during the 2017 season — the first time since 2010 that attendance dipped below 73 million.
- 79,503,175: Paid attendance in 2007, the league’s high-water mark.
- 6: Number of consecutive years overall attendance has declined.
- 3,765,856: Total attendance last season at Dodger Stadium, home of the Los Angeles Dodgers, highest in all of baseball.
- 1,253,619: Total attendance last season at Tropicana Field, home of the Tampa Bay Rays, lowest in baseball
- 3: Number of teams with an estimated annual payroll of more than $200 million (Texas Rangers, Los Angeles Dodgers, Boston Red Sox)
- 7: Number of teams with an estimated annual payroll of less than $100 million (San Diego, Oakland, Milwaukee, Cincinnati, Tampa Bay, Philadelphia, Chicago White Sox)
- 1.2: Amount, in billions of dollars, for which Derek Jeter purchased the Miami Marlins last year.
- 25:Number of weekday afternoon live MLB games Facebook will stream this season, beginning April 4 with a game between the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies; last season, Facebook streamed 20 Friday night games.
- 20:Number of interleague games each American and National League team will play — 10 home and 10 away.
- 0: The cost of a ticket to the April 17 game at the Oakland Coliseum between the Oakland A’s and the Chicago White Sox, as part of the A’s season-long 50th anniversary celebration.
- 27.29: Average number of free items the 15 National League teams collectively will give away this season.
- 22.69: Average number of free items the 15 American League teams collectively will give away this season.
- 12: Number of different bobbleheads the Texas Rangers will distribute to fans.
- 8: Number of different jerseys the Los Angeles Angels will distribute to fans.
- 49: Number of freebies the St. Louis Cardinals will give away, the most of any team.
- 1: St. Louis’ rank in a 2017 list of “Best Baseball Cities,” as determined by the personal finance website WalletHub.
- 1969: Year that Washington, D.C., last hosted the All-Star Game; this year’s Midsummer Classic will take place at Nationals Park on July 17.
- 70: Estimated economic impact, in millions of dollars, for the nation’s capital for hosting the All-Star Game.
- 70: Economic impact, in millions of dollars, for Miami, which hosted the 2017 All-Star Game.
- 191.5: Economic impact, in millions of dollars, when New York hosted the 2013 All-Star Game at Citi Field.
- 15,000: Cost, in dollars, of the 2017 World Series trophy made by Tiffany and Co.
- 7,600: Value, in dollars, of the amount of gold and silver used to make that trophy.
- 565: Cost, in thousands of dollars, of a 30-second commercial during the 2017 World Series between the Houston Astros and the Los Angeles Dodgers.
- 5: Cost, in millions of dollars, of a 30-second commercial during February’s Super Bowl LII between the Philadelphia Eagles and the New England Patriots.
- 2,144: Average ticket price, in dollars, for 2017 World Series game in Houston.
- 3,332: Average ticket price, in dollars, for a 2017 World Series game in Los Angeles.
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