This season there are 120 Minor League Baseball (MiLB) teams. That is 43 less teams than last year. One consequence of this reduction in the number of teams is that a lot of baseball fans will now have to travel a lot further to attend a Minor League Baseball game.
In Where it's harder to watch a Minor League Baseball game in 2021 Axios has mapped out the distance from every county in America to the nearest Minor League Baseball team.The map shows the location of all 120 Minor League Baseball teams and also the locations of the 43 teams which have been removed from the league since last season. The map also includes a visualization of the distance from each county to the nearest MiLB team.
The biggest losers this season are baseball fans in Montana. Not only did Montana lose three Minor League Baseball teams this season but the state is now also one of the furthest states from any remaining MiLB team. If you live in Montana then you will need to travel at least 260 miles to visit your nearest MiLB game. Things aren't much better for fans in the other Mountain States of Wyoming, Colorado, and Idaho. Fans living in these states also face very long journeys if they wish to attend a MiLB game.
All of this talk of traveling to games could be academic. Last season's MiLB season was canceled as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. If this year's season does go ahead it is likely to be delayed and if fans are able to attend games then it is more than likely that the number of fans allowed at each game will be severely restricted.
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