In 2023, the average of players within each MLB team was between around 26-30 years old. This is considered to be the prime of a player's career, as they are typically at their peak physical and athletic ability at this age.

Who is the oldest player in the MLB?

In 2023, the average age of the players on the New York Yankees' roster was 28.3 years. Out of all the teams in MLB, the Los Angeles Dodgers had the highest average player age. In the same year, the Toronto Blue Jays' average player age was 29.6 years.

What is Major League Baseball? Major League Baseball (MLB) is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada. It comprises 30 teams, 29 of which are located in the United States and one in Canada. The teams are divided into two leagues: the American League (AL) and the National League (NL), and each league is further divided into three divisions: East, Central, and West. The teams play a 162-game regular season schedule, with the goal of earning a spot in the postseason, which consists of the AL and NL Championship Series, and the World Series. The team that wins the World Series is declared the champion of the MLB.

Fans watch at home and live in the stadiums There are many ways to enjoy MLB games, whether you are a die-hard fan, a casual viewer, or a player yourself. You can watch games on TV, or stream them live online. In 2022, the average TV viewership of MLB World Series games stood at 11.8 million. Additionally, many teams have their own websites, social media accounts, and mobile apps that allow fans to stay up-to-date with the latest news, scores, and player stats. It is also possible to purchase tickets to games and watch the action live at the stadium. In 2022, the average attendance at the games in the MLB was 26,808.

Major League Baseball is one of the most popular professional sports leagues in North America. The survey depicts the level of interest in the MLB in the United States and it showed that 33 percent of respondents aged 35 to 44 were avid fans of the league.

A January 2024 survey in the United States revealed that over one quarter of MLB fans who attended or watched games were aged between 50 and 64. Meanwhile, just over four percent of NHL fans were aged between 13 and 17.

Baseball is one of the most popular sports to watch and play in the United States and further afield. During an April 2021 survey in the United States, 22 percent of respondents aged 35 to 44 stated that they were avid fans of baseball.

The average regular season attendance at games in Major League Baseball remained relatively consistent from 2009 to 2024, with a drop due to the coronavirus pandemic in 2021.The average attendance in 2024 was 28,513, constituting a slight decrease from the previous year's value of 29,293 people

In 2024, the total attendance at Major League Baseball games was just over 71 million. This marked a slight increase on the number of fans who attended MLB games during the 2023 season. MLB is the highest standard North American professional baseball league comprising 30 teams competing for the Commissioner’s Trophy. How valuable are MLB teams? MLB teams rake in hundreds of millions of U.S. dollars in revenue each year. In 2024, the New York Yankees were the MLB team which generated the most revenue, with the figure totaling almost 680 million U.S. dollars that year. Meanwhile, the average MLB team valuation stood at over 2.4 billion U.S. dollars in 2024. Overall, the Yankees were the most valuable MLB franchise that year, with an estimated valuation of 7.55 billion U.S. dollars. How expensive is it to attend an MLB game? Average ticket prices for MLB games have increased annually between 2006 and 2023. In 2023, the average ticket price to attend MLB games was 37 U.S. dollars, with the Los Angeles Dodgers charging the highest average price from all MLB franchises that year. Despite this, the Dodgers were not the most expensive franchise to take a family to that year. The Fan Cost Index – which calculates the cost of taking a family to an MLB game – showed that attending Boston Red Sox games was the most expensive for families, with the experience priced at around 396 U.S. dollars in 2023.

As one of the biggest sports leagues in America with TV viewers reaching into the millions, Major League Baseball can afford to pay its players handsomely. The average salary for a player in the MLB stood at 4.98 million U.S. dollars in 2024. This marks a twofold increase on the average salary in 2005. Highs and lows of MLB salaries While the stars of every MLB team take home millions every year, there is still a minimum player salary in place to ensure that all players are compensated for their efforts. The 2024 MLB minimum player salary was set at 740 thousand U.S. dollars, a significant increase on the minimum of 300 thousand U.S. dollars in 2003. The league’s top earners The highest earner in the MLB in 2024 was the starting pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Shohei Ohtani. The three-time All-Star took home an annual base salary of 70 million U.S. dollars in the 2024 season. Due to their prominent role on the team, it is unsurprising that a majority of the top earners in the MLB were pitchers.  

There were a total of 949 players on opening day rosters of Major League Baseball teams ahead of the 2024 season. Of these players, almost 28 percent were from countries and territories outside the United States, with the Dominican Republic being the most represented nation.

Ahead of the 2023 Major League Baseball season, a pitch clock was introduced to speed up the pace of the game. As a result, an average game during the 2024 MLB season lasted 2 hours and 36 minutes. This was more than 25 minutes shorter than an average game during the 2022 season, when the pitch clock had not yet been introduced.

Roughly 16.6 million people in the United States above the age of six years old played baseball at least once in 2023, denoting an increase of 7.6 percent over the figure reported in the previous year. This figure constitutes the highest number of baseball participants recorded in the North American country based on available records.

As of March 2024, NASCAR fans in the United States tended to be younger on average than the general population, with most fans being aged under 44. Only 16 percent of NASCAR fans were aged 65 and over, compared to 21 percent of the wider U.S. population.

The opening day payroll of teams in the MLB is calculated by combining the base salary, incentives, and any signing bonuses. At the beginning of the 2024 season, the New York Mets had the highest combined payroll in the league, amounting to around 305.62 million U.S. dollars. At the other end of the scale, the Oakland Athletics had an opening day payroll of just over 60 million U.S. dollars.

Pitchers take home the money The MLB has a minimum player salary in place to ensure that its professionals are rewarded for the work that they do. In 2023, the minimum salary for an MLB player was 720 thousand U.S. dollars per year, a significant increase from the minimum of 490 thousand U.S. dollars ten years earlier. However, the average player salary in the league in 2023 stood at 4.9 million U.S. dollars, around seven times the value of the minimum salary. This figure is skewed by the fact that the top earners in baseball take home significant amounts of money. Typically, it is the pitchers within a baseball team that earn the biggest wages due to their integral role. Indeed, pitchers dominated the list of highest earning players in the MLB and the New York Mets' starting pitcher Max Scherzer topped the list. The eight-time MLB All-Star took home a salary of over 43 million U.S. dollars in 2023.

MLB Luxury Tax In order to avoid such wealth disparity amongst the teams, Major League Baseball implements a luxury tax (or competitive balance tax). This tax is paid by any teams whose annual payroll exceeds the league limit which, in 2023, stood at 233 million U.S. dollars.

Major League Baseball is one of the most popular professional sports leagues in North America. The survey depicts the level of interest in the MLB in the United States and it showed that 36 percent of male respondents were avid fans of the league.

The games of the 2024 World Series, in which the Los Angeles Dodgers achieved a five-game series win over the New York Yankees, were watched by an average of 14.34 million viewers. This marked the Dodgers' eighth World Series title in franchise history.

NCAA men's baseball is the college level of basketball played in the United States and is seen as the final step up before the MLB. In a survey conducted in May 2022, eight percent of respondents aged 35 to 44 stated that they were avid fans of NCAA college baseball in the United States.

Major League Baseball is one of the most popular professional sports leagues in North America. The survey depicts the level of interest in the MLB in the United States and it showed that 36 percent of Hispanic respondents were avid fans of the league.

In baseball terms, a home run is a hit that allows the batter to run all the way around the bases and reach home safely. Home runs are generally achieved when the ball is hit over the outfield without touching the ground first. In Major League Baseball, Barry Bonds leads the pack of all-time home run scorers. He hit a record 762 home runs in his career between 1986 and 2007, during which time he played for the Pittsburgh Pirates and the San Francisco Giants. MLB legends – Barry BondsIn no small part as a result of his outstanding home run record, Barry Bonds is considered one of the greatest baseball players of all time. It is therefore surprising that he is yet to be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, although the San Francisco Giants did elect him to their Wall of Fame and retired the No. 25 jersey in his honor. Interestingly, Barry Bonds does not lead the list of all-time home runs scored for the San Francisco Giants – this accolade is held by Willie Mays, who is in sixth on the all-time league home run list. MLB legends – Babe RuthOne man who did make it into the National Baseball Hall of Fame and who is often called the greatest baseball player of all time is Babe Ruth. The Yankees Legend is top of the team’s all-time home run list, having smashed 659 home runs during his 14-year career in New York. Not only was the Yankees’ No. 3 shirt retired in his honor, but he was also inducted to the Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame, despite only playing for them for a comparatively short five years. The player who appeared the most times overall in the MLB is Pete Rose, who played a total of 3,562 games in a career spanning 23 years.

Major League Baseball (MLB) teams are owned by a variety of individuals and groups. The Toronto Blue Jays are owned by Rogers Communications, led by CEO Edward S. Rogers III, with a net worth of 11.5 billion U.S. dollars. Individual owners of MLB franchises include wealthy individuals such as Mark Attanasio (Milwaukee Brewers), John Henry (Boston Red Sox), and Arte Moreno (Los Angeles Angels), who also have other business interests outside of sports ownership. There are also multiple ownership groups that own MLB franchises, made up of a mix of businesspeople, investors, and wealthy individuals who come together specifically to purchase and operate the teams. In rare occurrences, franchises have also been owned by the league, such as the Montreal Expos and the Texas Rangers in the past. The ownership process often includes the approval of the other MLB owners and requires significant financial resources.

Steven A. Cohen Steven A. Cohen's purchase of the New York Mets for 2.4 billion U.S. dollars in 2020 constituted a significant event in the sport. The purchase made him the wealthiest franchise owner in the league, with a personal wealth of around 16 billion U.S. dollars. Cohen stated that he planned to invest in the team to help bring it success on the field, as well as in its business operations. One of his main goals with the purchase was to renovate Citi Field, the team's stadium, and to invest in the team's player development facilities. He also announced plans to enhance the fan experience through technology and fan engagement, aiming to bring the team closer to its fan base. Billionaire sports club ownership The growing trend of wealthy individuals buying sports teams can have both positive and negative impacts. On one hand, wealthy owners bring significant financial resources to teams, which can improve the team's performance and overall competitiveness. However, there are also concerns such as concentration of wealth and power among a small number of teams and owners, a less competitive league, and owners prioritizing financial returns over competitive balance. Additionally, the high price of ownership can make it difficult for new ownership groups to enter the market and lead to lack of diversity among ownership group of sports teams. This can also lead to high-priced tickets and merchandise, making it harder for low-income fans to support their team.

The MLB All-Star Game is an exhibition game between the best players from the American League (AL) and National League (NL), as selected by fans, managers, and players. A ticket for the 2024 MLB All-Star Game at Globe Life Field cost an average of 916 U.S. dollars on the secondary market.

A January 2024 survey in the United States revealed that around 61.3 percent of MLB fans who attended or watched games were male. Meanwhile, close to 39 percent of MLB fans were female.