Fastball

The MLB All-Star Game Ratings Were Shockingly Bad

The ratings for the Major League Baseball All-Star Game on Tuesday were shockingly low.

Brady Farkas

The MLB All-Star Game Ratings Were Shockingly Bad
The MLB All-Star Game Ratings Were Shockingly Bad /
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The National League beat the American League on Tuesday night, 3-2, in this year's edition of the All-Star Game. 

It was a well-played baseball game, for those who actually saw it, which apparently wasn't many.

Per Front Office Sports, this was the lowest-watched All-Star Game in history. It averaged a record-low 7.01 million viewers.

Now, we have no empirical data as to why the game rated so low, but there are some theories out there, at least from myself.

1) Shohei Ohtani didn't pitch. 

The whole world wants to see Ohtani do what only Ohtani can do, and that's be both a hitter and a pitcher. But Ohtani can't pitch right now, as he's been relegated to only hitting duty lately because of a cracked fingernail. If he had been able to start the All-Star Game on the mound, and then come to bat in the bottom of the first inning, the ratings likely would have been higher.

2) Lack of star power.

It wasn't just Ohtani that couldn't pitch. The game also missed out on Mike Trout and Aaron Judge, who were out with injury. Other well-known stars like Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer didn't make the game, either.

3) Lack of Red Sox and Yankees.

Love it or hate it, the Red Sox and Yankees help drive the bus that is Major League Baseball. Not only could Judge not play, but only Gerrit Cole and Kenley Jansen represented these organizations, meaning a large section of fans likely weren't interested.

4) The uniforms.

Some people don't think that this is a big deal, but I do. Baseball fans want to see their favorite baseball players play, but when you don't wear your own uniform, the players become more unrecognizable and they lack individuality. That individuality is what has always made the game great, and so has being able to see your favorite team represented.

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Brady Farkas
BRADY FARKAS

Brady Farkas is a baseball writer for Fastball on Sports Illustrated/FanNation and the host of 'The Payoff Pitch' podcast which can be found on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Videos on baseball also posted to YouTube. Brady has spent nearly a decade in sports talk radio and is a graduate of Oswego State University. You can follow him on Twitter @WDEVRadioBrady. 

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