“How did he not catch that ball?”
“C’mon, run faster!”
Baseball fans can be quick to judge the athletic abilities and physical fitness of players on the field, but how well does their own physical fitness stack up?
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USBets recently surveyed 2,000 MLB fans to ask them all about their physical fitness to determine which MLB fanbases are the most and least physically fit. And it turns out that fans of the Arizona Diamondbacks are pretty fit.
• Arizona Diamondbacks fans are the 2nd fittest MLB fans.
• Arizona Diamondbacks fans play the 8th most recreational sports with 63% of Diamondbacks fans reporting that they play a recreational sport at least once per month.
• Rounding out the top 5 of the fittest MLB fanbases:: 1. Los Angeles Angels 3. Milwaukee Brewers 4. Colorado Rockies 5. San Diego Padres.
Before we break down the results, let’s analyze the different factors we looked at in order to determine our ranking of the “fittest” MLB fans.
Our rankings were based off several factors, including body mass index (BMI), how frequently fans exercise, how physically active they are throughout the day, if they can run one mile as well as how many push-ups and sit-ups they can perform.
Each of the seven categories were based on a five-point scale with a total of 30 possible points overall. While no fanbases received a perfect score of 30 points, the top five fanbases earned at least 18 points.
The Los Angeles Angels took the top place with a total score of 18.6. In terms of physical fitness, the Angels performed far better than their crosstown rivals, the Los Angeles Dodgers, who ranked 15th on our list.
The Angels aren’t the only California MLB fans to rank high on our “fittest fans” list. Coming in at No. 5 is the San Diego Padres with a total score of 18, which is tied with the Colorado Rockies. Rounding out the top of our list is the Arizona Diamondbacks (No. 2) and the Milwaukee Brewers (18.1).
Least Physically Fit MLB Fans
In any game, there are winners and there are losers. Unfortunately for Atlanta Braves fans, they ended up last on our list of fittest MLB fans.
Braves fans were joined by the Pittsburgh Pirates, Kansas City Royals, Tampa Bay Rays and Houston Astros in the top five “least physically fit” MLB fans. All the five teams earned less than 16 points.
Which MLB Fanbases Play Sports the Most?
Along with analyzing physical fitness of MLB fans, we also asked fans how often they play recreational sports. According to respondents, a vast majority of Chicago White Sox fans play some type of recreational sport. Among White Sox fans who were surveyed, 77% said they play a recreational sport “at least once per month.” White Sox fans outplay their crosstown rivals, the Chicago Cubs. 67% of Cubs fans surveyed say they play a recreational sport.
Unsurprisingly, most fans of the Los Angeles Angels, Colorado Rockies, Milwaukee Brewers, Miami Marlins, Baltimore Orioles, New York Yankees and Cincinnati Reds all ranked high on our list of fans who play recreational sports as well as within the top 10 of our “fittest fans” ranking.
It’s probably a longshot to say that these rankings will spark a fitness competition among MLB fans. But, then again, the MLB season is notoriously long and there’s still plenty of time to get in shape before the playoffs. “Playoff bod,” anyone?
Methodology
To determine our ranking, we surveyed more than 2,000 MLB fans across the country to ask them about their physical fitness. Ranking factors included: body mass index (BMI), exercise frequency, minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activities per day, ability to run one mile as well as how many push-ups and sit-ups they can perform. Each category was graded on a five-point scale for a total score of 30 possible points.
Among respondents, 59% were male and 41% were female with an average age of 38. The survey did not receive an adequate number of responses from Oakland Athletic fans and Toronto Blue Jays fans. Both teams were not included in the ranking.
Body Mass Index (BMI): Fans were awarded up to 5 points if their BMI was within the healthy range, and zero points if they were within the “extremely obese” range, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Exercise: Fans were awarded up to 5 points based on how frequently they exercised. For example, fans were awarded 5 points if they exercised everyday, 4 points if they exercised 3-5 times per day, etc.
Activeness: Fans were awarded up to 5 points based on the number of minutes they perform moderate-intensity aerobic activities they perform daily such as brisk walking, biking, gardening, etc.
Mile Run: Fans were awarded 5 points if they were capable of running one mile, or could recall the last time they ran one mile.
Push-Ups: Fans were awarded up to 5 points based on the number of push-ups they could perform depending upon their age.
Sit-Ups: Fans were awarded up to 5 points based on the number of sit-ups they could perform depending upon their age.
Sources: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Canada College, The Cooper Institute for Aerobics Research
