Though they may not want to admit it publicly, Major League Baseball is dealing with an impending crisis. Young people today simply aren’t as interested in baseball as their parents and grandparents before them. And the numbers prove it.
Since 2012, MLB attendance has been in a steady decline. In the 2012 season, total attendance across the league was 74,859,268. By 2019 — the last season with full attendance — the numbers had dropped to 68,494,845.
TV ratings are also down. According to the Baseball Almanac, the 2019 World Series on FOX had 13,912,000 viewers. For reference, the 1991 World Series on CBS had a total of 35,680,000 viewers.
Baseball must find a way to attract a younger crowd, especially as the NBA and NFL have steadily gained more traction with younger viewers in years past. Part of the reason for the success of basketball and football with younger viewers is that their sports are faster, more intense, and often far more conducive for social media. MLB lacks the pizazz and energy that other sports contain.
Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Angels has a chance to change that. Ohtani is a new breed of baseball player — hurling 100 mph fastballs on the mound, while launching 468 foot home runs from the batter’s box.
Ohtani’s much hyped MLB debut in 2018 was cut short after he had to undergo Tommy John surgery. The Japanese star played during the 2019 season, but only appeared at the plate as he recovered from the injury.
Now, Ohtani is back to full health, and he’s making history in the process.
On Monday night in Arlington, Texas, Ohtani did something that hasn’t been seen in major league baseball since June 12, 1931 — he was the game’s starting pitcher while also leading the league in home runs.
The last time this feat was accomplished, it was Babe Ruth who had 19 home runs when he took the mound against the Detroit Tigers in 1921.
Ohtani’s Monday night start didn’t begin well. He allowed five baserunners in the first inning and gave up a three-run home run while only throwing 11 of his 29 pitches for strikes. And while he was able to right the ship for the remaining four innings — Ohtani retired 12 of the 13 batters he faced from the second inning on — his pitching performance isn’t really the point.
Ohtani is doing something that should bring fans to the ballpark (when they return fully) and viewers to the screen.
He’s batting .300/.341/.517 at the plate this season with 7 home runs. In three starts this season, he’s 1-0 with a 2.29 ERA with 23 strikeouts and 13 walks in 13 ⅔ innings. His command has been inconsistent, but his electric fastball and vast array of pitches make him a must watch.
Ohtani has an opportunity to be a trailblazer for the sport. Most major league pitchers were two-way players during their high school or college careers. Some even had the option of being drafted as either a pitcher or a hitter, but rarely both. There’s no reason why there shouldn’t be more Ohtani’s working their way through the minor league system.
Major League Baseball needs Ohtani to remain healthy and continue to grow as both a pitcher and hitter. Ohtani brings in fans from baseball-crazed Japan, as well as a younger generation looking for a reason to tune into a sport often maligned as dull and outdated.
As Angels manager Joe Madden told ESPN, “If you weren’t entertained by watching him tonight, you can’t be entertained by watching the game of baseball.”
Joe Morgan is the Sports Reporter for The Daily Wire. Most recently, Morgan covered the Clippers, Lakers and the NBA for Sporting News.
The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.