The Most ‘Hardball’ or Ruthless Fan Bases in the MLB
‘Take me out to the ball game, take me out with the crowd!’ As the 2025 MLB season nears, fans across the league are ready to ‘root, root, root for the home team.’ But let’s be real – sometimes fans’ passion for baseball spills over into more than just hotdogs and Cracker Jacks. From name-calling to drink tossing, some fan bases are known for throwing more shade than strikes.
While everyone has their opinion on which MLB teams have the most ‘hardball’ or ruthless fans, we blocked out the hearsay and went straight to the stats. Through a nationwide survey of 4,000 MLB fans and weighted index, we measured key sportsmanship behaviors – like booing frequency, injury cheering, and general lack of empathy – to determine which fans are the most ruthless, and which ones are just here for good time.
Key Findings:
- Miami Marlins have the #1 most ‘hardball’ fans, with a ruthlessness score of 98.8/100
- Cincinnati Reds have the #2 most ruthless fans (96.4), with the Baltimore Orioles in #3 (93.7)
- Minnesota Twins fans are the kindest in the league, with a low aggression score of 1.1/100
- The National League East division has the most ‘hardball’ fans of the 6 divisions; while the American League Central has the kindest fans
Son of a Pitch! These are the most/least ‘hardball’ MLB fan bases
To determine the most ‘hardball’ fan bases, our weighted aggression index factored the following: frequency of booing, cheering for the opposing team’s injuries, engaging in poor behaviors, trash-talking on the opposing team’s social media platforms, unapologetic towards past poor behaviors, lack of empathy for the opposing team’s losses, and self-reflection rating on their own fan base’s sportsmanship quality.
Looks like the heat isn’t just on the field in Miami – it’s boiling over in the stands too! Miami Marlins fans are named the ‘hardball’ in the entire league, with an intense score of 98.8/100. 1 in 22 fans admit to throwing punches with rival supporters – the 2nd highest in the league! It doesn’t stop there – 1 in 3 fans regularly engage in unsportsmanlike behaviors, 48% of Marlins fans feel zero empathy for the other team’s losses, and 44% have no regrets on such behavior! You’re definitely in for a heated exchange with these fans!
Cincinnati Reds – or should we say, the Sin-cinnati Reds – live up to their fiery reputation. Ranked as the 2nd most ruthless fan base in the league (96.4/100), these fans aren’t afraid to throw down…literally. 1 in 20 Reds fans admit to getting into physical fights with rival fans, the highest rate in MLB. Another 62% feel zero guilt about their past unsportsmanlike behavior, and the rivalry doesn’t end at the ballpark. 1 in 5 Reds fans take their trash talk online, going after the opposing team’s social media accounts. When it comes to baseball, Reds fans don’t just wear red – they see red.
Baltimore Orioles fans don’t just talk a big game – they squawk it too. Ranked as the 3rd most ‘hardball’ fans (93.7/100), these fans take no prisoners. Orioles fans rank 1st in the league for cheering the most when an opposing player gets injured – brutal! Another 1 in 25 fans admit to throwing hands with rival supporters, the 3rd highest in the league. If that wasn’t harsh enough, 50% feel zero sympathy when the other team takes an ‘L’. Orioles supporters definitely know how to ruffle a few feathers!
The Minnesota Twins have the kindest fans in the MLB, with an almost perfect low-aggression score of 1.1/100 – you’re more likely to swap Cracker Jacks with them than insults. A wholesome 87.2% of Twins fans steer clear of any insulting behavior, while 95% avoid trash-talking on social media – the highest in the league. When asked to rate their own sportsmanship, they humbly gave themselves a 4.1 out of 5 (5 being excellent). Twins aren’t just hitting home runs – they’re knocking it out of the park in kindness, too!
Ranked: MLB’s most/least ‘hardball’ divisions
#1 – National League East
#2 – American League East
#3 – National League West
#4 – National League Central
#5 – American League West
#6 – American League Central
Decoding MLB fan culture: Behaviors, attitudes, and loyalty
On a scale of 1 (poor) to 5 (excellent), the average MLB fan rates their sportsmanship level at 3.8, just a notch above decent. This, of course, can vary depending on their team’s performance.
You’re more likely to hear cheers than jeers, as the average fan clocks in a 2.4 average booing frequency on a scale of 1 (never) to 5 (always). Following the positive vibes, only 19.6% trash-talk their rivalries on social media.
On the other hand, 12.7% of baseball fans relish the sight of rival players getting injured. Adding salt to the wound, 55.4% don’t empathize with other teams’ losses while 42.7% don’t regret their poor sportsmanship behaviors.
Foul balls may belong on the field, but foul language thrives in the crowds! Trash-talking is the most popular go-to unsportsmanlike behavior for 82%. Taunting comes in 2nd place, where 55% like to provoke others for a reaction. 5.4% might get sloppy with some food/drink tossing, or buckle down with a physical fight (2.1%).
When asked which MLB fan base they’d consider to be most aggressive from past experiences, New York Yankees are considered to have the most ‘hardball’ fans. Boston Red Sox fans come in 2nd place, with the Philadelphia Phillies in 3rd. The East Coast fans sure know how to make an impression.
Interestingly enough, 42% of fans reveal they’ll stand by their team if they engage in poor misconduct or scandals. 40% would feel indifferent, while 18% would cut their loyalty ties.
Conclusion
Despite the variety of attitudes MLB fans may display, it’s evident that their reactions stem from their intense passion for the sport and their team. After all, what’s a ballgame without a little rivalry?
Methodology
In March 2025, we conducted a nationwide study of 4,000 MLB fans, asking about their sportsmanship behaviors.
From there, we created a weighted index to analyze and weight a multitude of aggression-like factors to determine the ‘hardball’ and kindest MLB fan bases:
- Participated in physical fights – 25%
- Cheers for injuries – 15%
- Engages in poor behaviors (trash-talking, taunting, etc.) – 15%
- Doesn’t regret poor behaviors – 15%
- Lacks empathy for the opposing team’s loss – 15%
- High booing frequency – 5%
- Trash-talks on the opposing team’s social media accounts – 5%
- Self-rated sportsmanship ranking – 5%
The average age of respondents was 41.3 years old. The representative sample comprised of 60.1% male, 38.8% female, 0.8% non-binary, and 0.3% transgender.
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