Attendance has grown each year for the past several seasons, with some teams, like the White Sox, Blue Jays and Mariners seeing huge increases in 2026.Ratings are up, with the 2025 World Series being the most watched domestically since 2017 and Game 7 drawing a whopping 51 million viewers between the US, Canada and Japan.National television broadcasts have seen significant increases, pace-of-play is up, the new ABS challenge system has been mostly well-received and small market teams are outperforming big spending clubs through the first half of the season, undermining parity concerns.BREWERS HUMAN HOWITZER JACOB MISIOROWSKI BREAKS HIS OWN RECORD FOR HARDEST PITCH THROWN BY A STARTERMilwaukee Brewers pitcher Jacob Misiorowski throws during the first inning against the St.
Louis Cardinals in Milwaukee on May 25, 2026.(Kayla Wolf/AP)Highlight reels are dominated by exceptional athletes doing exceptional things.
Jacob Misiorowski hit 105 mph as a starting pitcher.Shohei Ohtani is dominating as a hitter and a pitcher, something virtually unprecedented over such a lengthy time frame.
Kyle Schwarber is threatening home run records, even as pitching continues to improve.Mason Miller has been virtually unhittable.
Young stars in small markets, like Jackson Chourio, Konnor Griffin, Bobby Witt Jr., Jackson Merrill, Kevin McGonigle, Colt Emerson and Samuel Basallo, are locked up for most of their primes, ensuring fans can go years without worrying over free agency.But if you ask football commentator Kirk Herbstreit, baseball is dying.Because there aren't enough athletes, apparently.In response to a complaint from former Yankees catcher Jorge Posada, Herbstreit posted a lengthy diatribe on X completely misunderstanding the modern game.ESPN "College GameDay" analyst Kirk Herbstreit speaks before the Miami Hurricanes versus Ole Miss Rebels College Football Playoff Semifinal at the VRBO Fiesta Bowl on Jan.
8, 2026 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.(Kevin Abele/Icon ...