Who are the most popular MLB teams? America’s favorite pastime continues to deliver for baseball fanatics as the 2023 MLB season continues to move along, and fans start to turn their attention to the MLB All-Star game and the post-season as summer approaches. With 30 Major League Baseball teams fighting it out on the diamond, who wins the popularity contest?
Most Popular MLB Team
Headlining the list of the most popular teams in Major League Baseball is the New York Yankees. The Yankees lead all MLB teams in total World Series Championships and the most baseball players inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.
In addition to their long-storied history, the Yankees have also featured many of the greatest MLB players to play the game, including the likes of Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, Lou Gehrig, and most recently, Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera.
Here are the rest of our top 10 picks.
10 Most Popular MLB Teams
New York Yankees
World Series Championships: 27
Hall of Fame Players: 27
The Most Popular MLB team in all of Major League Baseball is the New York Yankees, while separating themselves from each of the other popular teams in the game.
While the Yankees also have many baseball fans hate them, their love from fans worldwide makes up for it. From the Yankees dynasties during the 1920s through the 1960s to the dynasty in the mid-1990s to the early 2000’s it is easy to see why fans love the Yankees.
What’s more, the Yankees continue to spend money to bring the top players in baseball to the team while competing year in and year out. The Yankees have won 27 World Series Championships and 40 AL Pennants, along with 20 AL East Division titles, including two of the past four titles.
Add a long list of Hall of Famers and stars, including AL MVP Aaron Judge as well as past stars such as Mariana Rivera, Derek Jeter, Mickey Mantle, Babe Ruth, and Lou Gehrig, and its not hard to see why the Yankees are the most popular MLB team.
Los Angeles Dodgers
World Series Championships: 7
Hall of Fame Players: 6
While the Los Angeles Dodgers don’t have the hardware to match the New York Yankees, they do benefit from playing in one of the largest cities and states within the United States.
Like the Yankees, the Dodgers’ popularity continues to grow from MLB season to MLB season as they continue to spend money to bring in the best players in baseball to add to their reputation.
The Dodgers have been one of the most consistent MLB teams since 2010 winning nine NL West Division titles, three NL Pennants, and one World Series Championship.
Boston Red Sox
World Series Championships: 9
Hall of Fame Players: 12
A second AL East team to appear among the most popular teams in Major League Baseball is the Boston Red Sox. We all love a good battle between villain and superhero – Red Sox became a superhero over time as they looked to break the curse of the Bambino and finally get past the New York Yankees to win a World Series.
The Red Sox have put together some terrific lineups over the years while having some famous MLB players to pave their way, including Ted Williams and David Ortiz, to go along with a winning tradition since 2004.
After failing to win a World Series between 1919 and 2003, the Red Sox have won four World Series Championships since, including during the 2018 MLB season.
Chicago Cubs
World Series Championships: 3
Hall of Fame Players: 14
Like the Boston Red Sox, the Chicago Cubs faced their own struggles over time as they looked to defeat the Curse of the Billy Goat.
Their drive to win a World Series Championship through the early 2000s now helped rebuild their fan base while building one of the best fan bases in all of baseball.
The Cubs ultimately ended the curse during the 2016 MLB season while continuing to field competitive teams in a very crowded NL Central division.
St. Louis Cardinals
World Series Championships: 11
Hall of Fame Players: 18
Rounding out the top 10 Most Popular MLB teams rankings is the St. Louis Cardinals, who continue to put together competitive teams each MLB season with Ozzie Smith, Stan Musial, Albert Pujols, Yadier Molina, Adam Wainwright, Paul Goldschmidt, and Nolan Arenado.
One of the most storied franchises in the history of Major League Baseball has racked up 11 World Series Championships to go along with 19 NL Pennants and 15 Division titles, including five since the 2010 MLB season.
As winning builds a fan base, so do All-Star players, something the team is accustomed to, including future Hall of Famer Pujols, who was as big of an MLB star as any ever to play the game of baseball.
New York Mets
World Series Championships: 2
Hall of Fame Players: 2
Playing in one of the largest cities in the United States plays a large part in the popularity of the New York Mets while also playing cross-town rivals to the New York Yankees.
While the Mets’ iconic blue pinstripe jersey ranks among the best MLB jerseys of all time, it also has helped the team reel in new fans despite its lack of winning championships.
However, the purchase of the Mets by Steve Cohen and his instinctive approach to turning the Mets into a winning franchise has fans flocking to the team from all over.
Atlanta Braves
World Series Championships: 4
Hall of Fame Players: 6
The Atlanta Braves might not be as popular as they once were during the middle 1990s to the early 2000s, but they remain one of baseball’s most popular teams.
One team that put together winning teams was the Braves, who have won 18 NL Pennants and 17 NL East Division titles, including 11 from 1995 to 2005.
That success has returned, with the Braves winning the NL East in five straight seasons dating back to 2018, built around their young solid nucleus of talent.
In addition to their winning ways, the Braves’ long history of Hall of Famers, including Hank Aaron, Greg Maddux, Chipper Jones, John Smoltz, and Tom Glavine, as well as fresh young faces such as Ronald Acuna, have them among the best MLB franchises All Time.
Philadelphia Phillies
World Series Championships: 2
Hall of Fame Players: 11
One city that loves a winning team is the City of Brotherly Love Philadelphia which helps the organization rank among the most popular MLB teams.
While some of their love faded after failing to make the playoffs from 2012 to 2021, the Phillies’ wild card berth and run to the World Series during the 2022 MLB season brought back many fans who had jumped ship and a new fan base.
The addition of Bryce Harper a few seasons back and JT Realmuto has also helped create an interest in the franchise while the team looks to return to the tops of the NL East each season.
Houston Astros
World Series Championships: 2
Hall of Fame Players: 2
Love or hate them is the big question when discussing the Houston Astros. The Astros, who were found guilty of sign stealing, including using the beating of a trash can, continues to be one of the most popular teams despite cheating, a sign that like comic book readers, sports fans love a good villain.
Also, playing in as large a state as Texas with the Texas Rangers struggling to put together a winning team has helped fans jump on the Astros bandwagon.
Before the cheating scandal, the Astros were also the underdog team that had lost 100 games in multiple seasons before propelling to the tops of the American League and all of Major League Baseball.
Over the years, the Astros have had a long list of stars to draw in fans, including the Killer Bs Jeff Bagwell and Craig Biggio, as well as most recent All-Stars Gerrit Cole and Justin Verlander.
Los Angeles Angels
World Series Championships: 1
Hall of Fame Players: 2
Coming in at number 10 on the 10 Most Popular MLB Teams is the Los Angeles Angels, despite their struggles to win and make the playoffs.
The Angels are one of those teams that benefit from not having just one proven All-Star and MVP but two All-Star and MVPs on their roster.
Those two superstars are Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani, among the most-liked baseball players each season. While their popularity remains strong, the team has had success while having big-name stars on their team, including Tim Salmon and Jim Edmunds, as well as future Hall of Famer Albert Pujols.
In addition, the Rally Monkey and having one of the most impressive catches of all time, also drives excitement to the Angels.
What Makes an MLB Team Popular?
Many common trends stand out, such as their history of winning and/or are currently winning at a high success rate. Other factors that determine whether a team is an MLB fan favorite team are whether the team is located within a large city, features one of the top MLB stars, or if they are an underdog MLB team.
History of Winning
The most important factor determining the popularity of any sports team, including the baseball team, is whether the team is good and is winning World Series Championships. As you look around at the most popular MLB teams, such as the New York Yankees, St. Louis Cardinals, and Los Angeles Dodgers, each has a history of producing winning teams and winning the World Series Championship. Winning increases the local fan base, while “bandwagon” fans follow winning teams.
Top Tier Player or Prospect
Another reason MLB teams become popular among the fan base is based on the MLB players on their team, which create interest within that team. As fans now gravitate to players more so than teams, it helps the MLB team’s popularity increase. For instance, Shohei Ohtani brought a new world of fans to the Los Angeles Angels despite the team failing to win on the field consistently.
MLB Team Location
A third trend among the most popular MLB teams is the MLB team location which results in a smaller or larger fan base. Teams such as the New York Yankees, Chicago Cubs, and New York Mets have substantial fan bases based on the size of the city they live in and the number of individuals residing in those areas. Despite being competitive over the years, a team like the Tampa Bay Rays has a smaller fan base based on its location.
MLB Underdog
Lastly, while MLB underdogs don’t remain popular, they do become popular during the regular season and post-season, as many fans like to see someone other than the top teams win. Teams that can surprise top-tier teams or have nothing to play for can attract new fans.
