MLB draws least amount of viewers in history, still outperforms other league All-Star games

The decline of interest in the MLB All-Star Game continued Tuesday, as viewership for the 2023 All-Star Game in Seattle reached new lows.

The annual American vs. National League contest averaged 7.006 million viewers — the least-watched MLB All-Star game of all-time, per Front Office Sports. It’s a drop off of more than half a million viewers than last year’s game, in which a then-record 7.634 million tuned in.

Despite the decline in viewership, the MLB All-Star Game remains the most-watched All-Star Game in sports. The NBA All-Star Game drew a record-low 4.6 million viewers this season, while the NFL Pro Bowl Games had 6.3 million viewers tune in.

This year’s Midsummer Classic, the first to take place at T-Mobile Park since 2001, saw the NL snap a losing streak dating back to 2012. In front of 47,159, the NL defeated the AL, 3-2. Colorado Rockies catcher Elias Díaz took home the All-Star Game MVP after hitting a two-run, go ahead home run in the eighth inning off of Baltimore Orioles closer Félix Bautista.

“It means a lot to me, to my family,” said Díaz, the 32-year-old first time All-Star, via MLB.com. “So proud of what I’ve been doing, what I’ve been able to accomplish. Being in the All-Star Game, for me, is amazing.”

Díaz is the first-ever Rockies player to win the All-Star Game MVP, making Colorado the 26th franchise to earn that distinction.

“I feel like I went in with a really good plan,” Díaz said. “Just talking with the hitting coach, he showed me the numbers, kind of showed me the plan. I was looking for a specific pitch; I was able to get it and connect. When I was rounding the bases, I was just overwhelmed with emotion.”

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. outlasts Randy Arozarena for historic win in MLB Home Run Derby

Prior to the game, Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. won the 2023 MLB Home Run Derby Monday, defeating Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Randy Arozarena in the Finals.

Guerrero Jr. held on to win after hitting 25 home runs in the Finals, while Arozarena came one short, hitting 24. With the win, Guerrero Jr. and his father, National Baseball Hall of Famer Vladimir Guerrero, become the first father-son duo to win the Home Run Derby. The elder Guerrero claimed victory in the 2007 Home Run Derby at AT&T Park in San Francisco.

Guerrero Jr. appeared in his first Home Run Derby since 2019 when he mashed a record 91 home runs. He defeated Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Mookie Betts, 26-11, in Round 1. In Round 2, he took down the fan-favorite in Seattle Mariners outfielder Julio Rodríguez. Rodríguez set the overall round record with 41 home runs in Round 1. He struggled to keep the same pace in Round 2, hitting 20 while Guerrero Jr. topped him with 21.