Most Patriotic MLB Fanbases Ahead of July 4th
My country ‘tis of thee, sweet land of MLB. Take us out to the ball game because the Fourth of July is almost here! American baseball was voted “America’s Sport” second only to the NFL. Despite said findings, the MLB is ripest during the Fourth where you can catch a doubleheader, watch the fireworks, and root, root, root for the home team all in the name of U S A!
All 30 teams will be up to bat on July 4th for a flag-waving fight. As such, we wanted to know which MLB fan bases are going to show up and strut their stars and stripes. We surveyed 5,000 MLB fans to determine just how patriotic they claim to be. Amongst questions like “Do you vote” and “Do you wave the American flag” we put their patriotism to the test. We even asked fans to recite the Pledge of Allegiance to see just how much they really remember. The results? Star-spangled staggering.
Key Findings:
- America’s #1 MLB fan base is the LA Angels at 84.5% patriotism
- The Texas Rangers ranked the #2 most patriotic at 83.4%
- Excluding the Toronto Blue Jays, the least patriotic is the Oakland Athletics, at only 66% self-identified American pride
- The Colorado Rockies are anticipated to have the highest 4th of July attendance
- When quizzed, 88% of MLB fans were able to recite the whole Pledge of Allegiance
Most Patriotic MLB Fanbases
Some fans bleed red, white, blue, and their team’s colors too. We asked a series of questions regarding “patriotic behavior” to determine the truest America-lovin baseball fans.
We’re starting at the West Coast, as the Los Angeles Angels fans were named the #1 most patriotic. California is actually quite low on American pride. Ranked 35th out of 50 for patriotism, you wouldn’t expect a team from this state to perform so well. The Los Angeles Angels are proving the contrary by leading with an 84.5% patriotism rate. When asked how much they self-identify as patriotic, fans averaged 4.2/5. The Angels v. Orioles 4th of July game is fully sold out on the official MLB website, so expect a full, festive house!
America’s cowboys are also feeling the USA-awe. Lassoing in the 2nd place medal, Texas Rangers earn an 83.4% patriotism rating. Historically, a “Texas Ranger” fought to protect the border, fight off cattle thieves, and protect the Lone Star State. Pride still runs this deep as Rangers fans boast an 84% regular voting rate, a 97% standing rate for the National Anthem, and a 94% hot dog consumption rate at games. Yeehaw.
Rounding out the top 3, we’re headed up north. The Colorado Rockies fans were ranked the #3 most patriotic. The only team where 100% of respondents said they stand for the National Anthem, Rockies fans exude red, white, and blue.
The Least Patriotic Fanbases
There are always the Independence Day Grinches on the other side of the spectrum, too. The fans who roll their eyes at fireworks, gawk at festive outfits, and bash the homemade barbecue. We’ve excluded our dear Toronto Blue Jays friends for obvious reasons, but they’ve let us know that they’re keen to celebrate Canada Day on July 1st!
Just up the California coast, we go from LA’s loud and proud citizens to the Oakland “over it” residents. The Oakland Athletics ranked last for patriotism with an average 3.3/5 ranking. If you see Oakland fans humming their way through the anthem, don’t be too surprised as 15% of respondents only knew about half of the lyrics. Let’s hope Vice President and Oakland-native, Kamala Harris, doesn’t find out!
And another strike for California! The 2nd least patriotic team is only an “out of the park” away from Oakland. The San Francisco Giants fans were ranked the 2nd least patriotic in the league. Giants fans might not be feeling the love at the national level, but they show respect to the greats, like Willie Mays, who died on June 18, 2024.
Which MLB fanbases are standing (or sitting) for the national anthem?
Nicknamed the “Gateway to the Americas”, Miami doesn’t quite live up to its title when it comes to patriotism. The Miami Marlins had the highest sitting rate during the national anthem at 21%. In other words, about every 1 in 5 Marlins fans chooses to sit during the national anthem at a game.
Marlin fans aren’t the only sitters. They may put the red in red, white, and blue but they’re not about to stand for it! The Cincinnati Reds ranked 2nd highest sitting rate during the National Anthem in the MLB. Reds fans don’t find this an exact reflection of their American pride, however. Reds’ fans ranked in the top 10 for patriotism, for other factors like voting frequency, supporting the troops, and dressing Fourth festive. How’s that for the Big Red Machine?
The third one may come as a surprise. In order, this team has mascots named: George, Tom, Abe, Teddy, and, famously, a Bald Eagle named (victory) Screech. What could get more American than that? All that aside, Nationals fans aren’t feeling so…national. For this Washington team, they’ve got an 11% sit rate during the National Anthem, the third highest in the country.
On the other hand, some MLB fans are eager to stand. As mentioned, the Colorado Rockies come in 1st place for standing during the anthem. All Rockies respondents said (ability-allowing) they stand for the anthem 100% of the time at MLB games. You guys rock!
Steel City is also standing strong. Pittsburgh Pirates fans had the 2nd highest stand rate for the national anthem at 97.7%. They might be the team of buccaneering and bootlegging, but they do take pride in national tradition.
Thankfully, the third-place winner is putting credit back to the California name. With the San Francisco Giants and the Oakland Athletics ranking low for patriotism, you might think that the San Diego Padres followed in their footsteps. Padres supporters are fans who take a stand. They maintained a 97.2% standing right for the national anthem, giving some context to their old slogan, “keep the faith.”
Teams anticipated to have the highest 4th of July attendance
What could be more American than crackerjacks, singing (and swaying) your way through, “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” and an MLB game? Maybe a Bald Eagle mascot named Screech. At any rate, we wanted to know who is anticipating the highest 4th of July attendance as all 30 teams will be playing on Independence Day.
Get ready to sink your teeth into a Rockies Dog because Coors Field, home of the Colorado Rockies, is expected to have the highest attendance of patriotic fans. Ranking again #1, 28% of Rockies fans said they prefer to spend their Fourth at the field.
LA expects a full stadium too. 23% of the Angels’ patriotic fans are planning to attend on the Fourth of July. If it sounds underwhelming, just know that the LA Angels’ neighboring rivals, The Dodgers are anticipating a 63% lower attendance rate.
Back to Ohio we go to see a real 4th of July show! The Cleveland Guardians are also anticipating fans to turn up, with 22% of its patriotic fan base planning an appearance. Not such a bad rate when you consider that it’s an away game at the Chicago White Sox stadium.
Not all Ohio MLB teams are in the holiday spirit for MLB fun. Unlike Guardians fans, Cincinnati Reds fans would rather spend their time at a BBQ than a baseball game. They’re anticipating the lowest attendance from their patriotic fans at only 2.2%.
Although near the nation’s capital, these fans aren’t planning to step foot in their team’s stadium this Fourth. The Baltimore Orioles ranked 2nd last for anticipated Independence Day game attendance at 4%.
“Loyal to no game!”, said the Kansas City Royals fans. Royals supporters ranked 3rd to last as only 5% of their fanbase is planning to turn up on the Fourth. It’s a home game with a fireworks display to polish off the night, what could be more fun?
Most and Least Patriotic Players
Fans are one thing, and players are another. Bearing in mind that 27.8% of MLB players are not American-born, it only makes sense that they’re not rallying around the flag. Those 264 players paired with American athletes that just feel “red, white, and bleh” – we wanted to know who had the most and least patriotic players according to the fan’s perspective.
Perhaps not surprisingly, Texas Rangers again landed top. The Rangers boast the #1 spot for most patriotic players. Pitcher and cover boy of the Rangers, Nathan Eovaldi is from Houston, Texas so it certainly helps!
Although the fans might not be the most patriotic, the players boast a bit more America-brag. The Washington Nationals were ranked #2 most patriotic players at a 4.2/5 rating. Their roster this season features the most players from Florida, North Carolina, and California.
Land of the free and home of the (Atlanta) brave! The Atlanta Braves ranked #3 for most patriotic players. The Braves frequently hold events for Military Appreciation Day, Veterans Day, Memorial Day, and more.
Back under the chopping block is the Oakland Athletics. For patriotism, the A’s players only got a 2.8/5 score. To be fair, they have a diverse roster with players from the Dominican Republic, Cuba, and even Canada! The US isn’t the only country to play baseball after all!
Although a member of the American League, the Chicago White Sox players weren’t regarded too highly when it came to national pride. The White Sox players ranked 2nd to last with a 3.1/5 score. Interestingly, the White Sox don’t have any hometown heroes and only one player from Illinois.
The last team has a giant patriotism problem. The San Francisco Giants ranked #3 worst patriotism for players. It could be a matter of leadership, of course. Giants’ Manager, Bob Melvin, went on the record to say that although he encourages, but doesn’t require standing for the national anthem.
MLB Fans & Their Patriotic Duties:
Voting:
Voting is paramount to American pride. After all, it gives us the right to take part in the Land of the Free. Some fanbases are more participatory than others of course. The Kansas City Royals fans have the highest voting rate at 97.5%. On the other end of the spectrum, the Miami Marlins fans only had a 79% voting rate. Across all MLB teams, the average was 89%.
Supporting the troops:
What about when it comes to saluting our veterans? Some teams encourage military support more than others with veterans’ discounts, military appreciation days, and more. Again, the Colorado Rockies lead the way in patriotism with 100% of respondents saying they fully support the troops. The Pittsburgh Pirates, on the other hand, had an 88% support rate. The national average was 94% across all teams.
Knowing the words to the Pledge of Allegiance:
“I pledge of allegiance to…” was it the flag? Republic? USA? Although many of us grew up reciting the pledge every day, the semantics can sometimes escape us. KC Royals again swept the competition with fans knowing 95% of the Pledge of Allegiance. The Miami Marlins mumble through the chorus with 72% lyrical knowledge. MLB fans across the country were pretty Pledge-ready, with the average respondent knowing 88% of the Pledge of Allegiance.
Patriotic clothing:
The Fourth is our chance to wear that star-spangled cowboy hat, Walmart’s finest tee, and any other patriotic garb to flaunt freedom (and fashion). 67% of Rockies fans are walking the red, white, and blue runway. Only 27% of Oakland Athletics fans said they’d dress patriotic for the Fourth. On average, 51% indicated that they’d be wearing some sort of festive clothing for the occasion.
Are MLB fans taking a knee during the National Anthem?
Almost 10 years ago, Colin Kaepernick took a silent knee in political protest. Following some negative feedback, the trend has slowly faded away, but Americans still have much to say about it. Outside of football, how would Americans feel if it happened in the MLB?
Largely fans were indifferent. 40% of baseball fans said they’d feel “neutral” or “indifferent” if a player did this. Another 29% said they would actually support it. The final 27% did, however, say they would be angry by such an action.
The Cleveland Guardians had the highest anger rate at 40% against it. The Seattle Mariners had the highest support rate at 46%.
Teams playing on the 4th of July:
Now it wouldn’t be very neighborly of us to not share the MLB schedule, right? If you want to spend your Independence Day watching Baseball for 11+ hours straight, well, that’s your American right.
Mets v. Nationals @ 11:05AM ET
Cardinals v. Pirates @ 12:35AM ET
Reds v. Yankees @ 1:05PM ET
Astros v. Blue Jays @ 1:07PM ET
White Sox v. Cubs @ 1:10PM ET
Red Sox v. Marlins @ 1:10PM ET
Tigers v. Twins @ 2:10PM ET
Phillies v. Cubs @ 2:20PM ET
Padres v. Rangers @ 2:35PM ET
Angels v. A’s @ 4:07PM ET
Orioles v. Mariners @ 4:10PM ET
Giants v. Braves @ 7:20PM ET
Rays v. Royals @ 8:10PM ET
Brewers v. Rockies @ 8:10PM ET
Diamondbacks v. Dodgers @ 9:10PM ET
Summary
Play ball! It’s almost Independence Day and whether you’re planning to spend it with a foot-long hot dog or awing at a fireworks display, it’s not a bad idea to go cheer on your favorite MLB team! Patriotic or otherwise, the crackerjacks are calling and we must go!
Methodology
In June 2024, we surveyed 4,000 American MLB fans asking a number of questions regarding patriotism and their fan habits. Some questions included:
- How frequently do you vote? (National, State, Local)
- Do you plan to dress festively for the Fourth of July?
- On a scale of 1-10, how much do you support the troops?
- How would you feel if “taking a knee” came to the MLB?
- Ability allowing, how frequently do you stand for the National Anthem at games?
- Finally, a quiz testing their knowledge of the Pledge of Allegiance
The age range was between 18-65 with all participants residing in the United States. Over half — 61% — were male, 38% were female, less than 1% identified as trans, non-binary, or “other”.
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