When the Montreal Expos became the Washington Nationals in 2005, Canada’s teams decreased by 50 percent. The Canadian love of baseball; however, is still alive and well. Maybe even enough to get a new team in Montreal when MLB expands to 32 teams.
In 2024, the MLB witnessed a high growth in fan engagement as attendance peaked over seven years, with more than 71 million fans, up 1 percent compared to 2023. The Washington Nationals are no exception. League initiatives to cut down game times and add more action helped boost attendance by 13 percent on weekdays compared to 2022.
Baseball is reaching younger audiences more, as evidenced by double-digit percentage increases in the 18-34 age group through significant networks. This demographic shift in their favor comes with a Nationals team geared towards the arrival of young talents with James Wood and Dylan Crews and a young starting rotation. Getting closer is Brady House and maybe even Robert Hassell III. For this reason, the Nationals should be in their window to compete for contention.
Casual Fandom Dynamics
Casual fandom dynamics remain the key to MLB’s engagement strategy in 2024/2025. For a team like the Washington Nationals, this has meant applying targeted marketing to drive up fan engagement: using the FIS Engagement Platform, for example, to see a 33% increase in email open rates and a 157% increase in click rates. Canadian casuals are highly represented in MLB’s casual fan base – just 8% identify as die-hard fans. This broader audience helps the Nationals, especially during summer months when baseball has fewer other sports to compete with for viewers.
Sports betting also impacts how engaged fans are with the sport. Especially with platforms like the ones discussed at https://www.canadasportsbetting.ca/, offering new ways for fans to engage with the game, this integration is improving viewership and participation; fans who bet watch an average of 19 more games per season than non-bettors.
The Blue Jays Effect
The 2024 Toronto Blue Jays were about that promising transition into a more potent offense during the season. After that lousy first half, they improved massively to 11th in run-scoring from 24th behind players such as Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and George Springer, who recaptured their power stroke. There was some promise in the Blue Jays farm system, with guys like Addison Barger and Leo Jiménez providing depth to the lineup. That speaks much to the adaptability of the Blue Jays and the quest for improvement, which probably could set a trend even with the roster rebuilds, like in the case of the Washington Nationals.
In the process, they have managed an outstanding balance between power and plate discipline, an invaluable lesson for many teams wanting to improve their offense and competitiveness.
Legacy of the Montreal Expos
Still kicking in MLB, most famously through their shared history with the now-relocated Washington Nationals, the Expos sat in Montreal from 1969 to 2004, creating an enduring legacy of a rich history and fans so zealous. Guys like Vladimir Guerrero, Gary Carter, and Andre Dawson helped make the mainstays of the Expos. Their move to Washington, D.C., did much to alter baseball geography, tending a fan base there while still clinging to their Canuck connection.
The Nationals went on to further that legacy by constructing a roster capable of optimistically predicting a competitive National League East campaign and nearly a decade of winning culminating in a World Series victory in 2019 against all odds. Fast-forward to today and Montreal is an exciting city in which baseball lives. Many former Expos’ fans still root for their former home team in Washington.
Canadian Player Influence
Canadians continue to significantly impact MLB, with several players standing out for their contributions. Some of the most impactful players include:
● Vladimir Guerrero Jr.: A Montreal native and icon with the Toronto Blue Jays, always finding his name near the top among the league’s best hitters.
● Josh Naylor: A massive piece for the Cleveland Guardians, known for his power-hitting, including 30 home runs and surpassing 100 RBIs in 2023.
● Bo Naylor: Also with the Guardians, Bo has been vital to their successful seasons.
But it’s not all superstars; Canada’s baseball development pipeline is still churning out players. The Washington Nationals do not currently have much of a Canadian presence on their active roster, but scouting and developing in Canada might go a long way toward building that depth and competitiveness.
Summer Sports Window Opportunities
In the summer, MLB has an unparalleled window of minimal major league competition, particularly in Canada. Baseball captures a more significant share of the sports audience for three months between May and September, with the NHL and NBA seasons finished and NFL teams in preseason mode. This window, when the NHL and NBA regular seasons are over, and the NFL is in the preseason, is an opportunity for Washington Nationals to generate interest and attract fans. In 2023, the Nationals averaged about 23,000 fans per home game- a figure that could rise during summer months when baseball is more at the forefront.
The exclusivity of this window helps MLB teams, like the Nationals, increase brand awareness and attract casual fans who might not pay much attention to the sport during the other months of the year. This can result in more ticket sales and broader fan interest.
