Bob Nightengale of USA TODAY Sports noted on Wednesday afternoon that the Phillies’ attendance is up almost 12,000 fans per game on average this season compared to last year. That is indeed true as Baseball Reference shows. Another 39,861 fans showed up to today’s series finale against the Mets.
After today’s win, the Phillies are 11-6, owning the best record in the National League at the moment. So they have that along with a nearly packed house every home game. It turns out that signing star players is good for business.
The Phillies signed Bryce Harper to a 13-year, $330 million deal in early March, capping off an offseason effort in which they also added Andrew McCutchen, David Robertson, J.T. Realmuto, and Jean Segura. Shortly after the Harper signing was announced, the Phillies saw a dramatic surge in ticket and jersey sales.
Let’s check in on the Giants, who were rumored as a possible destination for Harper shortly before he signed with the Phillies. They’re down 6,568 fans per game on average compared to last year. Yikes!
