how individual teams and leagues fared . We begin today’s attendance reviews with a listing of Minor League Baseball attendance by league .
In the course of the day we’ll review MiLB attendance by level, by total, and by average. We’ll then follow those listings with independent-baseball attendance, followed by a master listing of 2018 affiliated, independent and summer-collegiate attendance.
Here are the complete attendance figures of affiliated baseball teams, as listed by league , with a comparison of 2017 attendance figures . All stats come directly from league websites and last year’s Ballpark Digest attendance rankings .
It was a mixed year on the MiLB attendance front: plenty of bad weather in April and May did not provide teams with a great start to the season. Add in some unseasonably hot temperatures across the country in the summer, and you saw leagues reporting some down numbers in 2019. There are some bright spots in these league listings: The Appalachian League recorded a 12 percent increase from 2017 to 2018, as a lot of young talent has injected new life in that Rookie league. The Tim Tebow effect was seen in the Eastern League, which was steady despite horrendous weather to begin the season. It was also seen in the Florida State League, which was down 11 percent when compared to 2017.
Appalachian League
Team Total Gms Av. 2017A +/-
1
Pulaski Yankees
91,226
33
2,764
2,360
0.17
2
Johnson City Cardinals
68,861
31
2,222
1,976
0.12
3
Greeneville Reds*
48,021
31
1,549
1,139
0.36
4
Burlington Royals
36,541
32
1,142
1,045
0.09
5
Danville Braves
34,766
33
1,054
1,053
0.00
6
Kingsport Mets
28,928
32
904
901
0.00
7
Princeton Rays
23,549
31
760
536
0.42
8
Bristol Pirates
21,941
31
708
671
0.06
9
Bluefield Blue Jays
20,018
31
646
697
-0.07
10
Elizabethton Twins
15,329
29
529
586
-0.10
TOTALS 389,180 314 1,239 1,103 0.12
California League
Team Total Gms Av. 2017A +/-
1
Lake Elsinore Storm
214,955
70
3,071
2,894
0.06
2
Inland Empire 66ers
193,992
70
2,771
2,891
-0.04
3
Stockton Ports
187,966
69
2,724
2,669
0.02
4
RC Quakes
171,767
70
2,454
2,452
0.00
5
Lancaster JetHawks
155,573
70
2,222
2,418
-0.08
6
San Jose Giants
147,668
70
2,110
2,368
-0.11
7
Modesto Nuts
145,028
70
2,072
2,108
-0.02
8
Visalia Rawhide
124,208
70
1,774
1,806
-0.02
TOTALS 1,341,157 559 2,399 2,450 -0.02
Carolina League
Team Total Gms Av. 2017A +/-
1
Winston-Salem Dash
292,774
66
4,436
4,415
0.00
2
Frederick Keys
275,001
64
4,297
4,824
-0.11
3
Wilmington Blue Rocks
249,746
65
3,842
3,845
0.00
4
Potomac Nationals
237,244
63
3,766
3,869
-0.03
5
Myrtle Beach Pelicans
219,589
66
3,327
3,587
-0.07
6
Salem Red Sox
192,621
66
2,919
3,311
-0.12
7
Carolina Mudcats
181,122
68
2,800
2,800
0.00
8
Lynchburg Hillcats
112,228
63
1,781
2,084
-0.15
9
Down East Wood Ducks
116,835
66
1,770
2,025
-0.13
10
Buies Creek Astros
24,068
67
359
517
-0.31
TOTALS 1,901,228 654 2,907 3,183 -0.09
Eastern League
Team Total Gms Av. 2017A +/-
1
Rich. Flying Squirrels
396,686
64
6,198
6,034
0.03
2
Hartford Yard Goats
408,942
68
6,014
5,812
0.03
3
Reading Fightin Phils
388,510
68
5,713
6,054
-0.06
4
Portland Sea Dogs
346,341
61
5,676
5,653
0.00
5
NH Fisher Cats
319,099
63
5,065
4,735
0.07
6
Trenton Thunder
351,297
70
5,019
5,133
-0.02
7
Akron RubberDucks
344,754
69
4,996
5,202
-0.04
8
Altoona Curve
297,118
65
4,571
4,395
0.04
9
Harrisburg Senators
259,243
65
3,988
3,983
0.00
10
Bing. Rumble Ponies
220,279
62
3,553
3,289
0.08
11
Bowie Baysox
230,347
67
3,438
3,453
0.00
12
Erie SeaWolves
205,055
64
3,204
3,350
-0.04
TOTALS 3,767,671 786 4,793 4,773 0.00
Florida State League
Team Total Gms Av. 2017A +/-
1
Clearwater Threshers
181,686
68
2,672
2,988
-0.11
2
Daytona Tortugas
120,728
59
2,046
2,064
-0.01
3
Fort Myers Miracle
123,862
67
1,849
2,024
-0.09
4
Charlotte Stone Crabs
104,193
62
1,654
1,916
-0.14
5
St. Lucie Mets
98,823
65
1,520
2,005
-0.24
6
Bradenton Marauders
79,874
67
1,192
1,301
-0.08
7
Tampa Tarpons^
71,835
65
1,105
1,422
-0.22
8
Jupiter Hammerheads
69,095
65
1,063
1,046
0.02
9
Palm Beach Cardinals
64,008
62
1,032
934
0.10
10
Lakeland Flying Tigers
49,551
59
840
815
0.03
11
Florida Fire Frogs
33,017
55
600
1,082
-0.45
12
Dunedin Blue Jays
30,569
68
450
573
-0.21
TOTALS 1,027,241 762 1,348 1,521 -0.11
International League
Team Total Gms Av. 2017A +/-
1
Charlotte Knights
619,639
69
8,980
9,101
-0.01
2
Indianapolis Indians
619,122
70
8,845
9,159
-0.03
3
Columbus Clippers
587,067
68
8,633
9,109
-0.05
4
Lehigh Valley IronPigs
561,745
66
8,511
8,541
0.00
5
Buffalo Bisons
527,988
64
8,250
8,101
0.02
6
Durham Bulls
536,304
70
7,661
7,716
-0.01
7
Toledo Mud Hens
507,965
69
7,362
7,614
-0.03
8
Louisville Bats
466,026
70
6,658
6,868
-0.03
9
Rochester Red Wings
437,974
67
6,537
6,553
0.00
10
SWB RailRiders
386,819
63
6,140
6,462
-0.05
11
Pawtucket Red Sox
394,811
66
5,982
6,406
-0.07
12
Norfolk Tides
341,369
64
5,334
5,443
-0.02
13
Syracuse Chiefs
277,332
66
4,202
4,636
-0.09
14
Gwinnett Stripers**
195,955
64
3,062
3,135
-0.02
TOTALS 6,560,116 936 7,009 7,082 -0.01
Midwest League
Team Total Gms Av. 2017A +/-
1
Dayton Dragons
550,725
70
7,868
8,038
-0.02
2
WM Whitecaps
386,609
67
5,770
5,565
0.04
3
Fort Wayne TinCaps
376,422
66
5,703
5,931
-0.04
4
Kane County Cougars
350,028
64
5,469
5,889
-0.07
5
South Bend Cubs
343,763
70
4,911
5,285
-0.07
6
Lansing Lugnuts
313,592
68
4,612
4,468
0.03
7
WI Timber Rattlers
225,897
65
3,475
3,438
0.01
8
QC River Bandits
215,061
68
3,163
3,286
-0.04
9
Peoria Chiefs
208,275
66
3,156
3,174
-0.01
10
Lake County Captains
202,124
66
3,062
3,223
-0.05
11
Great Lakes Loons
187,220
65
2,880
3,021
-0.05
12
Bowling Green Hot Rods
178,329
66
2,702
2,855
-0.05
13
Cedar Rapids Kernels
160,165
68
2,355
2,378
-0.01
14
Clinton LumberKings
121,678
67
1,816
1,838
-0.01
15
Beloit Snappers
64,574
63
1,025
959
0.07
16
Burlington Bees
53,259
62
859
1,048
-0.18
TOTALS 3,937,721 1,061 3,711 3,789 -0.02
Northwest League
Team Total Gms Av. 2017A +/-
1
Vancouver Canadians
239,086
38
6,292
6,303
0.00
2
Spokane Indians
198,423
38
5,222
5,315
-0.02
3
Hillsboro Hops
130,286
38
3,429
3,379
0.01
4
Boise Hawks
126,192
38
3,321
3,196
0.04
5
Eugene Emeralds
125,967
38
3,315
3,297
0.01
6
Everett AquaSox
111,599
38
2,937
2,899
0.01
7
Tri-City Dust Devils
86,283
37
2,332
2,275
0.03
8
Salem-Keizer Volcanoes
72,094
38
1,897
2,132
-0.11
TOTALS 1,089,930 303 3,597 3,594 0.00
NY-Penn League
Team Total Gms Av. 2017A +/-
1
Brooklyn Cyclones
202,495
38
5,329
5,190
0.03
2
Tri-City ValleyCats
140,036
34
4,119
4,083
0.01
3
Hudson Valley Renegades
148,156
37
4,004
3,998
0.00
4
Aberdeen IronBirds
121,907
35
3,483
3,964
-0.12
5
Lowell Spinners
118,319
35
3,381
3,516
-0.04
6
State College Spikes
119,986
37
3,243
3,247
0.00
7
Mahoning Valley Scrappers
97,204
36
2,700
2,997
-0.10
8
Vermont Lake Monsters
83,956
38
2,209
2,362
-0.06
9
Staten Island Yankees
72,894
35
2,083
2,040
0.02
10
Connecticut Tigers
75,810
37
2,049
2,225
-0.08
11
Williamsport Crosscutters
68,475
36
1,902
1,797
0.06
12
West Virginia Black Bears
69,430
38
1,827
2,029
-0.10
13
Auburn Doubledays
43,343
36
1,204
1,281
-0.06
14
Batavia MuckDogs
29,005
37
784
806
-0.03
TOTALS 1,391,016 509 2,733 2,836 -0.04
Pacific Coast League
Team Total Gms Av. 2017A +/-
1
Round Rock Express
616,636
70
8,809
8,724
0.01
2
Nashville Sounds
603,135
69
8,741
8,861
-0.01
3
Albuquerque Isotopes
556,330
70
7,948
7,978
0.00
4
El Paso Chihuahuas
539,520
69
7,819
7,894
-0.01
5
Sacramento River Cats
538,785
69
7,808
8,032
-0.03
6
Iowa Cubs
463,399
63
7,356
7,763
-0.05
7
Salt Lake Bees
477,528
69
6,921
6,903
0.00
8
Oklahoma City Dodgers
463,195
69
6,713
6,533
0.03
9
Fresno Grizzlies
405,403
67
6,051
6,208
-0.03
10
Tacoma Rainiers
372,780
69
5,403
5,434
-0.01
11
Omaha Storm Chasers
345,830
65
5,320
5,355
-0.01
12
Reno Aces
351,298
70
5,019
4,894
0.03
13
Memphis Redbirds
340,476
68
5,007
5,073
-0.01
14
Las Vegas 51s
332,224
70
4,746
5,057
-0.06
15
Col Springs Sky Sox
262,657
64
4,104
4,208
-0.02
16
New Orleans Baby Cakes
252,614
66
3,827
5,554
-0.31
TOTALS 6,921,810 1,087 6,368 6,548 -0.03
Pioneer League
Team Total Gms Av. 2017A +/-
1
Ogden Raptors
129,285
38
3,402
3,378
0.01
2
Idaho Falls Chukars
101,448
37
2,742
2,390
0.15
3
Billings Mustangs
93,466
35
2,670
2,903
-0.08
4
Grand Junction Rockies
84,416
38
2,221
2,150
0.03
5
Missoula Osprey
65,919
35
1,883
1,893
-0.01
6
Great Falls Voyagers
47,625
34
1,401
1,244
0.13
7
Orem Owlz
51,092
38
1,345
1,513
-0.11
8
Helena Brewers
31,086
37
840
891
-0.06
TOTALS 604,337 292 2,070 2,046 0.01
South Atlantic League
Team Total Gms Av. 2017A +/-
1
G’boro Grasshoppers
322,156
66
4,881
5,235
-0.07
2
Greenville Drive
313,507
65
4,823
4,899
-0.02
3
Lakewood BlueClaws
293,413
63
4,657
5,208
-0.11
4
Charleston RiverDogs
305,040
68
4,486
4,494
0.00
5
Lexington Legends
281,134
63
4,462
4,326
0.03
6
Augusta GreenJackets
255,155
63
4,050
2,743
0.48
7
Columbia Fireflies
251,586
67
3,755
4,773
-0.21
8
Delmarva Shorebirds
201,329
65
3,097
3,236
-0.04
9
Asheville Tourists
170,389
60
2,840
2,706
0.05
10
Rome Braves
146,276
64
2,286
2,374
-0.04
11
Hickory Crawdads
125,394
66
1,900
2,129
-0.11
12
West Virginia Power
112,273
61
1,841
2,057
-0.11
13
Hagerstown Suns
64,957
56
1,160
1,380
-0.16
14
Kannapolis Intimidators
64,688
58
1,115
1,080
0.03
TOTALS 2,907,297 885 3,285 3,352 -0.02
Southern League
Team Total Gms Av. 2017A +/-
1
Birmingham Barons
391,061
68
5,751
5,935
-0.03
2
Jville Jumbo Shrimp
317,335
63
5,037
5,171
-0.03
3
Tennessee Smokies
308,069
66
4,668
4,981
-0.06
4
Pensacola Blue Wahoos
300,002
69
4,348
4,320
0.01
5
Montgomery Biscuits
238,538
70
3,408
3,409
0.00
6
Chattanooga Lookouts
214,811
67
3,206
3,181
0.01
7
Biloxi Shuckers
160,364
66
2,430
2,572
-0.06
8
Mississippi Braves
151,352
67
2,259
2,889
-0.22
9
Jackson Generals
110,798
67
1,654
1,775
-0.07
10
Mobile BayBears
69,504
62
1,121
1,489
-0.25
TOTALS 2,261,834 665 3,401 3,571 -0.05
Texas League
Team Total Gms Av. 2017A +/-
1
Frisco RoughRiders
468,259
68
6,886
6,812
0.01
2
Tulsa Drillers
350,396
67
5,230
5,597
-0.07
3
San Antonio Missions
327,276
67
4,885
4,557
0.07
4
Springfield Cardinals
326,362
67
4,871
4,801
0.01
5
Corpus Christi Hooks
340,607
70
4,866
4,944
-0.02
6
Arkansas Travelers
296,847
66
4,498
4,975
-0.10
7
NW Arkansas Naturals
304,526
68
4,478
4,471
0.00
8
Midland Rockhounds
263,024
68
3,868
4,211
-0.08
TOTALS 2,677,297 541 4,949 5,051 -0.02
*Played last season as Greeneville Astros
^Played last season as Tampa Yankees
**Played last season as Gwinnett Braves
RELATED STORIES: 2018 Summer Collegiate Attendance by Average ; 2018 Summer Collegiate Attendance by Total ; 2018 Summer Collegiate Attendance by League
About Kevin Reichard
Kevin Reichard is founder and publisher of Ballpark Digest.
With affiliated, independent and summer-collegiate 2018 regular seasons now finished, it’s time to look at how individual teams and leagues fared. We begin today’s attendance reviews with a listing of Minor League Baseball attendance by league.