Where Seattle Ranks Among America’s Most Baseball-Loving Cities

The Seattle Mariners’ recent surge has brought a welcome wave of excitement to the Pacific Northwest. For fans around here, it’s been a long wait.

Still, new data shows that even with all this buzz, Seattle trails most Major League Baseball (MLB) markets in overall popularity for the sport. Drawing on Nielsen survey results from January 2024 through April 2025, let’s unpack where Seattle lands in the nationwide baseball interest rankings—and what that might say about how sports culture’s shifting in the region.

Seattle’s Standing in MLB Popularity Rankings

The Nielsen data spells it out: only about 1.47 million adults in the Seattle metro area—roughly 33% of the population—call themselves “somewhat” or “very” interested in MLB. That puts Seattle 18th out of 25 markets with a big-league team.

The Mariners’ recent wins matter, but Seattle hasn’t cracked the top tier for baseball devotion just yet. There’s still a pretty wide gap.

Comparisons with Other MLB Cities

The difference between Seattle and baseball’s most diehard cities is pretty striking. According to Nielsen:

• St. Louis leads the pack, with 47% of adults passionate about MLB.
• Cleveland comes in at 44% interest.
• Baltimore is close behind at 42%.
• Miami sits at the bottom with just 23% interest, while Denver and Washington, D.C., show 25% and 30%, respectively.

It seems like geography, tradition, and team history still shape local fan bases. Seattle’s still catching up after decades of playoff drought.

Surprising Baseball Hotbeds Without MLB Teams

Here’s something that caught my eye: some cities without their own MLB teams actually beat Seattle in baseball interest. That kind of throws a wrench in the idea that having a local team guarantees more fans.

Markets that Outperform Seattle

Some of the non-MLB cities that stand out in the data:

• Providence, Rhode Island — 37% interest, probably thanks to its ties to Boston and the Red Sox.
• Green Bay, Wisconsin — shows strong interest, which fits with Wisconsin’s sports culture and Midwest baseball roots.
• Sacramento, California — benefits from being close to Bay Area MLB clubs.

Clearly, baseball can thrive in places that feel connected to big teams, even if the nearest ballpark isn’t down the street.

Seattle’s Growth Since the Playoff Drought

Seattle’s 33% interest rate now is a real jump from just a few years ago. In 2021, at the end of the Mariners’ brutal 21-year playoff drought, Nielsen measured local MLB interest at only 22%.

Back then, fans seemed worn out by all the losing, and a lot of casual followers just tuned out.

The Playoff Effect

The Mariners’ 2022 playoff run really kicked up excitement around here. That postseason didn’t just give fans hope—it made the rebuild feel worth it and brought in new followers.

Can that momentum keep building? It probably depends on whether the Mariners can keep winning and whether baseball keeps finding its place in Seattle’s culture.

Nielsen’s Nationwide Snapshot

The findings come from a massive nationwide study, with responses from over 208,000 adults—including nearly 4,000 in Seattle. This dataset gives a surprisingly detailed look at how baseball interest shifts between cities with MLB teams and those without.

What It Means for the Mariners and Seattle Sports

For the Mariners, the data feels like a mixed bag. There’s good news—interest is definitely climbing, even if Seattle still sits somewhere in the middle compared to the rest of the country.

But let’s be honest: Seattle faces a long climb if it wants to become a true baseball hotbed. The NFL, MLS, and a bunch of other sports already grab plenty of local attention, which doesn’t make things any easier.

The trend lines lately, though, look promising. More playoff runs, better player development, and real community outreach could give the Mariners a bigger spotlight here.

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