The question "Who has the worst attendance in MLB?" sounds simple, but the answer depends on how attendance is measured. This article breaks down the three standard metrics used in league and media reporting, explains why they lead to different conclusions, and points you to the definitive 2025 sources you should use to rank clubs. We focus on the completed 2025 regular season because year‑end tables provide the stable figures needed for accurate comparisons. Throughout the piece we flag practical adjustments and common errors so readers can make fair, verifiable judgments without drawing unwarranted conclusions.

Which club has the 'worst attendance' depends on whether you mean total fans, average per game, or percent of capacity filled.

Final 2025 team tables are the authoritative source for any year‑end attendance ranking.

Percent of capacity is essential when small or temporary venues limit raw per‑game averages.

How MLB attendance is measured and why it matters

Total season attendance: what it shows and limits

The term "worst attendance" can mean different things depending on the measurement chosen, so the first step is to be clear about the metric you are using. One common measure is total season attendance, which sums every reported turnstile count for a club across the regular season; it captures raw gate volume but favors clubs with more home dates or larger stadiums (see MLB standings MLB).

When you describe totals you should make readers aware that totals reflect both how often a team hosts games and how many fans each of those games drew, so totals alone do not correct for differences in stadium size or schedule constraints.

Average home attendance per game: the common ranking method

Most media rankings that list the lowest-drawing clubs use average home attendance per game because it normalizes for the number of home dates and lets readers compare per-game turnout; this is the typical column to read when newspapers or fan sites rank teams by attendance.

For a year-end ranking by average per game, consult final tables from recognized data publishers rather than midseason snapshots to avoid temporary distortions from streaks or special events.

Percent of stadium capacity filled: a fairness metric

Percent of stadium capacity filled shows how full a venue was relative to its listed capacity and is essential when a team plays in a small or temporary ballpark where raw averages can be constrained by the building itself. Using percent capacity helps identify teams that underperform relative to what their venue can hold.

Because these three measures answer different questions, any statement about the "worst" attendance should explicitly say which metric is being used and why that choice matters for the conclusion. For the most recent completed season perspective, reporters and analysts rely on final 2025 team tables rather than interim figures, which is the recommended practice for accurate rankings MLB.com attendance summary and the ESPN attendance tables ESPN.

2025 snapshot: the final tables you should use

Final, sortable team-by-team attendance tables provide the authoritative numbers needed to rank clubs by average per game and by percent capacity. Reliable year-end tables are published by outlets that compile the league's official numbers into per-team views; these are the sources to consult when answering who drew the fewest fans in 2025 Ballpark Digest 2025 attendance by team.

Which metric should I trust most?

Who truly had the worst attendance in MLB in 2025, and how should that be measured?

There is no single answer without specifying the metric. Use year‑end 2025 tables to create two lists - one by average home attendance per game and one by percent of stadium capacity - then apply simple adjustments for small or temporary venues to judge fairly.

To build a defensible list, use at least two sources to cross-check per-team averages and capacity percentages: a league or official summary plus an independent table that offers the percent-capacity calculation. That approach reduces the risk of relying on a preliminary or misreported figure Baseball-Reference 2025 miscellaneous stats.

Close crop of scored attendance column on a printed table with a hand pointing to bottom rows showing attendance numbers and a subtle accent highlight mlb world series odds beginning of season

Key columns to extract from a final table are: total season attendance, home games played, average home attendance per game, stadium listed capacity, and the percent of capacity filled. Read those exact columns and note the date of the table; final regular season tables dated after the season ends are the authoritative reference for 2025 reporting ESPN MLB attendance by team 2025.

Which teams ranked lowest in 2025 and how to present the list

Lowest by average per game: how to show the ranking

To present a clean, transparent ranking of the lowest-drawing teams by average per game, pull the "average attendance" column from a final 2025 team table and sort ascending. Display the team name, the per-game average, the number of home games used to compute the average, and the source for those numbers so readers can verify the list themselves Ballpark Digest 2025 attendance by team.

When you publish the list, put the metric you used in the headline or the first line of the table and add a one-sentence context note for each low-drawing club that flags obvious venue or schedule constraints rather than jumping to conclusions about demand.

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Below are two ranked approaches explained step by step; you can follow the same extraction and citation rules to create your own verified tables from the final 2025 sources.

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Lowest by percent of capacity: the alternative ranking

For the capacity-adjusted ranking, compute the percent of reported attendance divided by stadium capacity across the season or use the percent capacity column if the source provides it; then sort ascending to show which clubs filled the smallest share of their venues on average. This view places small-stadium and temporary-home clubs on a more even footing with large-venue teams ESPN MLB attendance by team 2025.

When presenting both lists, keep them side-by-side or provide a short explainer above the tables so readers immediately understand why a team can be low in one list but not the other; always note the exact source and column used to compute each ranking Baseball-Reference 2025 miscellaneous stats.

Short notes on stadium size, temporary venues, and outliers

Flag teams that played the season in smaller or temporary facilities so readers know the raw averages may understate demand potential; use the stadium capacity column and any notes in the final tables to mark these outliers rather than inferring organizational or market failure from the gate numbers alone Ballpark Digest 2025 attendance by team.

When a listed team looks like an outlier, add a one-sentence footnote next to the team entry explaining the structural reason visible in the source table, for example a temporary home or a capacity limit, and point readers to the exact source table for verification.

Drivers of low attendance: performance, market, and venue factors

Research and league reporting identify several repeatable drivers of low attendance; chief among them are on-field performance and playoff contention, market size and competition for entertainment dollars, and venue characteristics such as capacity and amenities Journal of Sports Economics study on attendance determinants and coverage by Baseball America.

On-field performance and rebuilding cycles

Teams in prolonged rebuilding cycles or those that are non-competitive late into the season tend to see weaker turnout, while clubs in playoff contention usually draw stronger crowds; this is a correlation observed across multiple seasons rather than a universal causal rule Journal of Sports Economics study on attendance determinants.

compute percent of stadium capacity filled for a team

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Market size and competition for entertainment dollars

Small media markets and cities with many competing entertainment options often struggle to draw the same per-game crowds as large metropolitan regions; the structural pull of market size is visible when cross-checking attendance tables against metropolitan population and local competition data. Use capacity percent to help separate market effects from venue limits when interpreting low averages Ballpark Digest 2025 attendance by team.

Venue characteristics: capacity, age, amenities, and location

Older ballparks, stadiums with fewer amenities, or venues in less convenient locations can suppress attendance independently of team performance. Because small or temporary venues cap raw averages, percent capacity makes comparisons fairer in the 2025-2026 context and should be used when a team's stadium is an obvious constraint ESPN MLB attendance by team 2025.

How to compare teams fairly: practical adjustments and caveats

When readers want a fair comparison across clubs, apply a short checklist that highlights the most common adjustments: note stadium capacity, exclude postseason games, compute percent capacity, and flag special-event dates like home openers or promotional giveaways that can spike single-game counts Ballpark Digest 2025 attendance by team.

For small or temporary ballparks, prefer percent capacity or provide both raw averages and capacity-adjusted notes so readers can interpret whether low raw averages reflect limited seats rather than weak demand. Cross-checking the final tables reduces the risk of using a midseason or provisional number Baseball-Reference 2025 miscellaneous stats.

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Adjusting for doubleheaders, weather, and promotional spikes

Doubleheaders, rainouts that shift dates, and single-game promotions can distort season aggregates; note those events where the final table or local reporting indicates an outlier game and, if practical, show a version of the list that removes obvious single-game spikes to see the underlying pattern.

Keep a short methodology statement with every published ranking that says which adjustments were made and which final source table was used, so readers and other writers can reproduce the ranking step by step. See how our evaluations work here.

Common reporting mistakes and how to avoid them

A frequent error is citing midseason or preliminary figures rather than final season tables; always use the year-end tables dated after the regular season to avoid temporary distortions from streaks or early-season promotions Ballpark Digest 2025 attendance by team.

Another mistake is conflating total season attendance with per-game averages; totals reward teams with more home dates and larger venues, while averages show typical game turnout. Make the metric explicit beside any headline claiming a team had the "worst" attendance and cite the final table used Baseball-Reference 2025 miscellaneous stats.

Reporters should also avoid equating low stadium counts with guaranteed financial distress; gate figures are one of many inputs into a club's finances and do not on their own prove profitability or solvency.

What low attendance actually means and a balanced conclusion

Low attendance typically signals a mix of structural and short-term factors: market size and stadium limits explain some cases, while extended poor on-field performance explains others. Treat gate numbers as descriptive indicators of fan turnout rather than as sole evidence of a team's overall health.

Readers who want to decide which club had the worst attendance in 2025 should build two side-by-side lists from the final tables: one sorted by average home attendance per game and one sorted by percent of capacity, and then read the one-sentence context notes for each low-drawing club before drawing conclusions.

For fans and analysts seeking neutral educational resources about sports performance and measurement, platforms like FundedPlays provide challenge-based environments for practicing predictive skills without making financial guarantees; such resources can help users learn to interpret data responsibly and test hypotheses about attendance dynamics (see the FundedPlays blog).

Which attendance metric should I trust for finding the worst team?

Use average home attendance per game for per‑game comparisons and percent of stadium capacity when small or temporary venues are involved; always cite final season tables.

Are year‑end attendance tables available for 2025?

Yes, reputable outlets publish final 2025 team tables that include averages and capacity percentages; use those year‑end tables rather than midseason snapshots.

Does low attendance mean a team is financially failing?

No, low gate counts are one indicator among many and do not by themselves prove financial distress; treat attendance as a descriptive metric, not a financial verdict.

Use the two side‑by‑side lists described above and the adjustment checklist to judge 'worst attendance' for yourself, and always cite the final 2025 tables when you publish a ranking. Treat attendance as one piece of context about fan engagement rather than as a single proof point about a franchise's overall health.