If Rays fans were happy to see their team in their 2023 postseason opener, they didn't go to Tropicana Field to show support for a World Series contender that won 99 regular-season games.
Game 1 of the American League Wild Card Series between Tampa Bay and the Rangers drew 19,704 fans. That's the lowest attendance for an MLB playoff game (in a non-COVID season) since Game 7 of the 1919 World Series, for which 13,923 fans gathered. Texas won the opener, 4–0.
To be fair, Tuesday's game was played at 3 p.m. ET, while most people were at work or school. And MLB announced the postseason schedule on Sunday, giving fans only two days to make arrangements.
