MLB Attendance Sees Significant Growth

• ⚾ MLB attendance is on track for its biggest increase since 1998, with a 9.2% rise through August 14th.
• 📈 23 out of 30 MLB clubs are experiencing year-over-year attendance gains, with only very slight decreases for a few teams.
• 🚀 The Philadelphia Phillies lead in attendance growth, with over 10,000 more fans per game, attributed to recent playoff success and beloved players like Bryce Harper.
• 🌟 Other teams with significant gains include the Cleveland Guardians, Texas Rangers, Cincinnati Reds, and Baltimore Orioles, often linked to improved performance and competitiveness.
• ⏱️ While rule changes like a faster game pace are considered a factor, the primary driver for increased attendance appears to be winning baseball and teams becoming more competitive.
• 🏟️ A notable statistic: on Saturday, August 5th, all 15 MLB games surpassed 30,000 attendance, with the majority exceeding 35,000, a threshold not seen this frequently since 2004.

Deconstructing OPS and Player Performance

• 💡 OPS (On-Base Percentage + Slugging) is presented as a casual barometer for offensive output, combining a player's ability to get on base with their power hitting.
• ⚠️ A key theory explored is the value of OPS when it's heavily carried by slugging alone, questioning its significance if batting average or on-base percentage is below average.
• 📊 Players like Jake Burger, Cal Raleigh, and Spencer Torkelson are highlighted as examples where slugging significantly boosts their OPS, despite below-average batting average and on-base percentages.
• 📉 The analysis also delves into "nothing games" – games where a player has three or more plate appearances but achieves zero runs, hits, walks, or times on base (excluding errors or sacrifice flies).
• 🧐 Freddie Freeman is noted for his exceptionally low rate of "nothing games" (6.72%) across a large number of games played, highlighting his consistent offensive contribution.
• 🎯 Orlando Arcia is discussed for having a high number of "nothing games" (27% of his games played) despite not being below average in his overall slash line, prompting a closer look at his game logs.
• 🛡️ "Nothing games" are more prevalent among defensive-first positions like catcher, shortstop, and center fielder, suggesting a potential trade-off between offensive consistency and defensive value.