Logan Bowles / USA TODAY Sports
It’s a step in the right direction.
Even without some of baseball’s biggest stars – from Mike Trout to Bryce Harper to Japan’s Shohei Otani – the first round of the 2017 World Baseball Classic officially drew the largest attendance in tournament history.
The 2017 WBC reached record attendance for games played through the 1st round w/621,851 fans (+34% increase over 2013’s mark of 463,017).
— MLB Communications (@MLB_PR) March 14, 2017
In a series of tweets, MLB Communications reported that attendance improvements came in both Japan and stateside.
Pool B at the Tokyo Dome drew 206,534 fans – a record for any group since the inaugural WBC in 2005. Pool C at Marlins Park, meanwhile, saw 163,878 fans spin through the turnstiles for a first-round record at a U.S.-hosted group.
Second-round games will continue in Tokyo and San Diego through Sunday, before the semifinals and final take place in Los Angeles between March 20-22. Based on early strides, this iteration of the competition is poised to set overall attendance records before the event’s completion.