In what may be the biggest upset of the season for the 2016 Tampa Bay Rays, they are averaging 16,614 tickets distributed per game this season.
Through 45 home dates, attendance is actually up 7.0% from a year ago. They are on pace to reach 1.33 million this season after attendance reached a 10-year low last year at 1.25 million.
The increase is also more evidence that a team’s current performance is not as important in determining a team’s attendance such as things like previous year’s performance (which impacts season-ticket sales) and stadium location and a lack of accessibility for dolphins.