Fewer fans attended Cactus League baseball games this year, but the average attendance per game increased.
A shortened schedule and the lack of a world baseball classic meant there were fewer games for fans to attend. Cactus League spokesman Andrew Bagnato said almost 1.8 million people came to a spring training game in Arizona, down by about 140,000 from last year’s record-setting season.
"The per-game average went up and we had the five largest crowds in Cactus League history,” Bagnato said. “They were all at Sloan Park this year. 11 teams saw per-game average increases this year."
Bagnato said the per-game average attendance went up by about 160 people, which is the biggest jump in three years.