Top Places in the U.S. That Define Baseball's True Spirit

When we set out to identify the towns in each U.S. state that best embody the spirit of baseball, we expected a few big names.

What we didn’t expect were the patterns that started emerging – from college town loyalties to blue-collar backbones, coastal surprises, and a few curveballs in between.

Key Findings

Mid-size cities dominated.

While Chicago and Brooklyn made strong cases (and earned their top-10 spots), the majority of state winners weren’t major metros.

Think Scranton, Bangor, and Fayetteville – places where local ballfields matter more than stadium lights.

College towns punched above their weight.

Cities like South Bend, Eugene, and Baton Rouge have no MLB teams, but their baseball traditions, rooted in powerhouse college programs, helped them earn hometown hero status.

It’s clear NCAA baseball carries serious cultural weight.

States with deep MLB legacies still favor the old guard.

In states like Missouri (St. Louis), Maryland (Baltimore), and Michigan (Detroit), history won out.

These are places where the love of the game stretches back over 100 years, and that nostalgia still carries serious sway.

The West had a strong showing in unexpected spots.

From Boise to Billings to Cheyenne, Western fans favored communities where the game still feels intimate, less corporate, and more connected.

There’s something about ball games with mountain backdrops that sticks with people.

Brooklyn still carries that Ebbets Field magic.

Despite losing the Dodgers over six decades ago, Brooklyn topped New York’s list.

It’s a reminder that baseball loyalty runs deeper than geography – and that nostalgia, when tied to place, doesn’t fade.

Scenic towns made surprising entries.

Burlington (VT), San Luis Obispo (CA), and Anchorage (AK) all made the list, proving baseball isn’t just big in urban centers – it’s alive in places where you might watch a game between mountain peaks or under the midnight sun.

Rust Belt resilience was on full display.

Cities like Cleveland, Milwaukee, and Pittsburgh-adjacent Scranton remind us that baseball isn’t just fun – it’s identity.

These towns may have changed economically, but their passion for the game hasn’t budged an inch.

Final Thoughts

While baseball’s future is often debated – pitch clocks, TV ratings, and youth interest – the past and present are alive and well in these towns.

Whether it’s a college diamond, a minor league stadium, or a neighborhood sandlot, these communities prove something powerful: you don’t need a massive payroll to have a meaningful baseball culture.

In a world where sports can sometimes feel like business first, these towns are a reminder that baseball, at its best, still feels like home.

Methodology

Online panel survey of 4,936 respondents based on age, gender, and geography. Internal data sources are used to obtain population data sets. We used a two-step process to ensure representativeness through stratified sampling and post-stratification weighting.

Respondents are carefully chosen from a geographically representative online panel of double opt-in members. This selection is further tailored to meet the precise criteria required for each unique survey. Throughout the survey, we design questions to carefully screen and authenticate respondents, guaranteeing the alignment of the survey with the ideal participants.

To ensure the integrity of our data collection, we employ an array of data quality methods. Alongside conventional measures like digital fingerprinting, bot checks, geo-verification, and speeding detection, etc. each response undergoes a thorough review by a dedicated team member to ensure quality and contextual accuracy. Our commitment extends to open-ended responses, subjecting them to scrutiny for gibberish answers and plagiarism detection.