The reoccurring proposition of bringing major league baseball to a new city is now aimed at Orlando, but is it a realistic one?
For a while now, there has been an up-and-down frequency of conversations regarding MLB expansion. From Charlotte to Portland and Nashville, and even Las Vegas and Montreal, there are certainly adequate markets for Major League Baseball to hook up to.
It seems there’s yet another city that has gained some interest as a destination for MLB’s next team, the city of Orlando, FL.
With a population of 2.5 million and a tourist boost 30 times that each year, the initial case for an MLB team in Orlando may seem quite lucrative. Even more, the city already supports its own NBA team, as well as a pro men and women’s soccer team.
Although, just because pro sports already exist in the city, doesn’t mean adding an MLB team is a good idea, or will even work.
Despite strong recent attendance from the city’s pro men’s soccer team (Orlando City SC) and women’s soccer team (Orlando Pride), the NBA’s Orlando Magic have consistently been a rather mediocre draw over the last 5 years:
Attendance per game ranks
Orlando Magic (NBA)
- 2019 •18th
- 2018 •17th
- 2017 •15th
- 2016 •17th
- 2015 • 23rd
Orlando City SC (MLS)
2019 • 7th
2018 • 6th
2017 • 4th
Orlando Pride (NWSL)
2019 • 5th
2018 • 4th
2017 • 2nd
In terms of the specific correlation for attendance across all major sports — though MLS is not considered major — it’s not known if Orlando’s strong soccer audience will spill over into a potential MLB team. Put more simply, maybe Orlandoians just like their soccer more?