- World Baseball Classic interest: Sports Fans (56%) and Avid Fans (69%)
- Fans support World Baseball Classic player participation by a 3:1 margin (31%-11%)
- Stay in the Spring! Fans overwhelmingly oppose moving the WBC to mid-season
- MLB 2026 interest: Sports Fans (67%) and Avid Fans (74%)
The Seton Hall Sports Poll reveals that Americans, sports fans and Major League Baseball (MLB) fans are eager to watch the World Baseball Classic (WBC) in March and look forward to the MLB regular season. The Poll discovers that 69 percent of self-described MLB fans planned to watch the WBC that launched on March 4th. In addition, over half (56%) of self-described sports fans as well as 69 percent of self-described avid fans plan to watch the tournament.
These subgroups show similar interest for MLB as the upcoming season approaches with 67 percent of sports fans reporting interest along with 74 percent of avid fans. Self-described casual fans are also eager with two-thirds (64%) interest in MLB and half (50%) planning to watch the WBC.
“The overwhelming support for the WBC and MLB’s upcoming season is a function of the sport’s importance on culture and the growing global reach of what is considered ‘America’s past time,’” says Charles Grantham, Director of the Center for Sport Management and the Seton Hall Sports Poll at the Seton Hall Stillman School of Business. “With Shohei Ohtani, Aaron Judge, and Juan Soto hitting, while Paul Skenes and Tarik Skubal pitch, MLB and the MLBPA have created an All-Star tournament which is riding the waves of national team fervor post the Olympic Winter Games.”
These results are derived from a Seton Hall Sports Poll conducted March 5th-9th among 1,536 adults. The Poll, which is sponsored by The Sharkey Institute within Seton Hall University’s Stillman School of Business, features a national representative sample from YouGov Plc., weighted on U.S. Census Bureau figures for age, gender, ethnicity, education, income and geography with a margin of error of +/- 3.0 percent.
World Baseball Classic Challenges
The controversy over risk of injury continues for this sixth WBC. Nearly half (47%) of MLB fans do not think MLB teams should have the right to prevent their players from playing in the WBC. In contrast, over a quarter (26%) of MLB fans support the possibility of MLB teams having ultimate say over their player’s participation. Conversation around this issue will continue throughout the tournament and potentially the MLB season.
The Poll tests the idea of the WBC moving to the middle of the MLB season and replacing the MLB All-Star Game. This is rejected by most subgroups with 47 percent of MLB fans, 48 percent of avid fans, and 35 percent of Americans opposing the switch.
MLB Salary Cap and Potential Strike
- More than two times as many Americans support a hard salary cap in MLB (40%-16%)
- Americans (33%-22%) and MLB Fans (44%-32%) do not believe MLB players are justified to strike
- Americans will not lose interest in MLB if there is a work stoppage (48%-19%)
- MLB fans are more likely to lose interest if there is a work stoppage (34%)
Over half (56%) of MLB fans support the introduction of a hard salary cap and elimination of luxury tax options while 19 percent do not support this change. Among Americans, 40 percent support the change while only 16 percent do not. Support for a hard salary cap is strongest among avid fans with 62 percent support versus 19 percent against.
When asked whether MLB players are justified if they strike over opposition to a salary cap, more believe that they are not justified. By a margin of ten points, most Americans do not believe players are justified in a strike (33%-23%). This margin rises to 12 points among MLB fans (44%-32%). This is a stark contrast to previous polls about other sports where subgroups often overwhelmingly support players’ decision to strike.
A strike could negatively impact MLB as over a third (34%) of MLB fans agree that a labor dispute would reduce their MLB interest. This number is 19 percent among Americans and rises to as high as 40 percent among avid fans.
ABS System and Umpires
- Support for automatic umpiring is waning
- American support drops 12 points since March 2025
- MLB fan support drops 5 points in a year
The novelty of the forthcoming Automatic Ball Strike (ABS) system is wearing off. Currently, 22 percent of Americans and 42 percent of MLB fans report they are looking forward to its implementation. October 2025 polling of the same question found support at 28 percent among Americans and 45 percent among MLB fans. A similar question posed in March 2025 found support as high as 34 percent for Americans and 47 percent for MLB fans. That is a drop of 12 and 5 percentage points, respectively, in only a year.
Despite focus on ABS, fans still overwhelmingly “accept” that human error is a part of MLB umpiring with 54 percent of Americans reporting acceptance. The number rises to 71 percent among avid fans and 73 percent among MLB fans.
When asked whether MLB should adopt a system similar to college football where every pitch would be reviewed, 31 percent of MLB fans agreed, but 45 percent do not think MLB should adopt the system. Considering waning support for ABS, it comes as no surprise that fans reject constant involvement of the new technology.
March 2026 Seton Hall Sports Poll Results Final
Daniel Ladik, Ph.D., Methodologist – daniel.ladik@shu.edu
This Poll was conducted March 5th through March 9th and includes responses from 1,536 U.S. adults with a margin of error of +/- 3%. The sample mirrors the U.S. Census percentages on age, gender, income, education, ethnicity, and region.
*Q1. Which of the following statements best describes you?
How interested, if at all, are you in each of the following? For each row please select your level of interest.
Q2a. Major League Baseball (MLB)
We’d now like to ask you some questions about your plan to watch each of the following tournaments: The World Baseball Classic (WBC), the Men’s and Women’s NCAA Basketball Tournament.
On which device, if at all, will you be watching each of the following? For each row please select the option that best applies.
Q3a. World Baseball Classic
The World Baseball Classic (WBC) begins on March 5th and is the premier international professional baseball tournament, featuring 20 national teams composed of top-tier professional and MLB players.
Q9a. Should the World Baseball Classic replace the MLB All-Star Game and mid-season break, and not remain a part of the Spring Training exhibition seas?
Q9b. Is an MLB Team hurt by a player’s participation in the WBC?
Q9c. Should an MLB Team have the right to prohibit their players from playing for a national team in the WBC?
The Major League Baseball (MLB) season is currently in Spring Training, and the season begins on March 25th.
With the implementation of the Automatic Ball and Strike (ABS) system, MLB now joins the NFL, many of the global soccer leagues, and professional tennis in using electronic automated/semi-automated referees to make decisions. As a result, the live broadcast will have a 5-second delay for the Gameday App and a 9-second delay for broadcast to ensure that challenges are only made by the pitcher, batter, and catcher.
Q10a. I look forward to seeing the ABS system implemented in the 2026 MLB regular season.
The Major League Baseball (MLB) season is currently in Spring Training, and the season begins on March 25th.
With the implementation of the Automatic Ball and Strike (ABS) system, MLB now joins the NFL, many of the global soccer leagues, and professional tennis in using electronic automated/semi-automated referees to make decisions. As a result, the live broadcast will have a 5-second delay for the Gameday App and a 9-second delay for broadcast to ensure that challenges are only made by the pitcher, batter, and catcher.
Q10a. I look forward to seeing the ABS system implemented in the 2026 MLB regular season.
Q10b. I accept human error as part of MLB umpiring.
Q10c. The MLB should adopt the college football system of reviewing every pitch.
Major League Baseball (MLB) and Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) will conduct their next collective barging agreement after the conclusion of the 2026 season.
Q11a. Will a labor dispute and work stoppage reduce your interest in Major League Baseball?
Q11b. Should MLB adopt a hard salary cap which all teams may not exceed and eliminate the current luxury tax option to improve competitive balance?
Q11c. Do you believe MLB players are justified to strike or not play as a result of their opposition to a potential salary cap?
March 2026
Q10a. I look forward to seeing the ABS system implemented in the 2026 MLB regular season.
October 2025
Q11b. I am looking forward to seeing the ABS system implemented in the 2026 MLB regular season.
March 2025
Q9a. Would you like to see this ABS system implemented in the MLB regular season?
