With the Atlanta Braves being the hottest team in baseball at the moment, the fans at Truist Park have played a big part in helping the team reach new heights during the 2023 season.
Before we talk about attendance and the impact it has had on the Braves, we have to go back to before the season even began. Back in March, it was reported that the Braves will no longer be selling season tickets after March 17th prior to the start of the season. Instead, they wanted to make sure enough single-game tickets would be available for fans that can only attend a certain number of games.
Looking back, that plan has been a massive payoff for the team in 2023. The Braves currently rank sixth in the MLB in attendance, above notable big-market franchises such as the Houston Astros and the San Francisco Giants. The Braves have also averaged 39,076 fans per game, the highest for the Braves since 1999.
Of course, with the high attendance numbers also comes arguably the most valuable asset, especially for owners, money. With the influx of revenue, the Braves were able to extend their young talent for the foreseeable future such as Spencer Strider and Michael Harris II while also being able to obtain long-term talent such as Sean Murphy. Murphy was extended almost immediately upon his arrival in Atlanta from the Oakland Athletics, very similar to Matt Olson when he was acquired.
The result? A Braves team that currently sits at the best overall record in the league, 58-28, while also setting a franchise record of eight players being named to the All-Star game this year. Quite impressive for a team, even with their spending and revenue, that had just gone above the luxury tax threshold for the first time.
With the highest attendance records in years, Braves fans have helped the team not only with their attendance but also through their support which has helped the team reach new highs in 2023. Let's hope it can stay like that for a while.