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Dodgers vs. Blue Jays World Series preview: Who Has the Edge?

USA TODAY Sports’ Gabe Lacques breaks down both sides of the upcoming World Series between the Dodgers and Blue Jays.

Sports Pulse

Being a baseball fan comes with highs, lows and a whole lot of patience no matter which team you’re rooting for. 

The sport nicknamed ‘America’s Pastime’ can be slow, with strikes and misses typically occurring more than homeruns and grand slams. Still, the slow-paced game is the second most popular sport in the U.S., after football. 

So in this country that loves a good ball game, some cities are friendlier than others when it comes to being a baseball fan. 

In a recent study, Wallethub takes a look into this year’s best cities for lovers of hardball. Thirty one metrics were observed among 333 of America’s most populated cities to determine the winners, among those metrics include affordability of attending games and team performance levels. 

The Big Apple

Data found that New York City is the number one city for baseball fans, home to the Mets and the Yankees. These two teams combined have earned the state the most world titles of any city, with the Yankees securing 27 wins and the Mets, two. 

The nation’s melting pot also boasts the highest average franchise value nationwide at $5.7 billion dollars, the Yankees worth over $8 billion and the Mets over $3 billion. 

Aside from the two star-studded MLB teams, New York also hosts one Minor League Baseball Team, the Brooklyn Cyclones, along with the most Division 1 NCAA teams in the country at six. These D1 teams hail from Columbia University, Wagner College, St. John’s University, Fordham University, Long Island University and Manhattan College. 

The City of Angels and Dodgers

Los Angeles holds two MLB Teams, the Angels and the Dodgers who have collectively brought home nine World Series Titles. The Dodgers hold eight of those wins, including last year’s championship against the Yankees. The national franchise average for this city is around $5 billion dollars.

Although the city of angels doesn’t have any minor league teams, L.A. has four D1 NCAA baseball teams, which include teams from the University of Southern California, UCLA, Cal State Northridge and Loyola. 

The ATL 

Atlanta ranks at third place for America’s best cities for baseball fans, home to the Atlanta Braves who have won four World Series titles and are worth $3 billion dollars. 

Despite their franchise value being lower than other MLB teams, the Braves dedicated fanbase boasts the MLB’s fifth-highest fan engagement on social media, as well as the third-highest average game attendance (92 percent of stadium capacity).

The Big Peach hosts Minor League team The Gwinnett Stripers who have two division titles, along with two Division 1 NCAA teams, the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and Georgia State Panthers. 

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