Which MLB fans are most likely to end the season a pound heavier?

Written By Nick Crain | Last Updated at March 31, 2026

Baseball fans consume 753 extra calories on game days compared to regular days. With the average fan watching 3.2 games per week, this could add about 18 pounds over the course of a season. Just ahead of the new season, The Lines sank its teeth into the snacking habits of 3,000 baseball fans across the country to find out the true weight of game day.

Key findings:

The life of a baseball fan can sometimes weigh pretty heavily on the stomach: losses, injuries, game day tension, and for some, the excitement of sweepstakes casinos. But how heavy is the burden of being an MLB fan, really? With many baseball lovers eagerly looking forward to the new season, we surveyed 3,000 U.S. baseball fans about their snacking habits and consumption of popular game day snacks and drinks (pizza slices, hot dogs, chicken wings, beer, etc.) on regular non–game days vs. typical MLB game days.

Tracking MLB fan snacking habits

We began by identifying each respondent’s favorite MLB team. From there, we tracked their viewing habits (whether they watch alone at home, with friends or family, at a bar, or live at the stadium) and how many games they see per week. To measure the game day effect, fans reported their typical consumption of various snacks and drinks on both non-game days and game days, using a scale of 0 to 5+ servings.

Ranking MLB fanbases: who consumes the most calories?

While the average baseball fan consumes an extra 753 calories on game day, snack intake varies significantly between fanbases, reflecting the different ways fans follow the game, from what they eat to how closely they track MLB odds. The Texas Rangers' supporters pack away the most, averaging 1,265 extra calories when their team takes the field. This is the equivalent of eating 3.5 hot dogs. Angels fans snack the least on game days; with an average of 340 extra calories, they rank lowest in the league. Based on these figures, this results in a seasonal weight gain of roughly 6.6 lbs.

How viewing location impacts calories

The environment plays a big role in snacking habits. Stadium-goers and bar-hoppers lead the pack, averaging 1,240 and 1,085 extra calories respectively. On the other end of the spectrum, fans watching at home alone consume the least; an average of 525 extra calories per game day, reflecting a more low-key viewing environment that may include other online forms of entertainment like online casinos.

Methodology

For The Lines’ Weight of Game Day study, we analyzed how many extra calories U.S. baseball fans consume on game days compared to non-game days. In March 2026, we commissioned a survey of 3,000 U.S. baseball fans to analyze snacking behavior across popular MLB game day foods and drinks, including pizza, hot dogs, chicken wings, nachos, and beer.

Respondents self-reported the average number of servings they consumed on non-game days versus typical MLB game days. Along with these habits, we tracked key variables such as favorite team, average games watched per week, and primary viewing location (home alone, with friends or family, at a bar or restaurant, or at the stadium). The survey participants consisted of 55% male, 44% female, and 1% non-binary respondents, with an average age of 42.4 years.

* To determine the seasonal impact for each fanbase, we used the following calculation:

Note: We applied the 3,500-calorie-per-pound benchmark as a guideline for calculating weight gain. Weight gain figures serve as a directional estimate, as individual results vary based on metabolism, age, activity level, and body composition.

Caloric intake was calculated using the following values per serving:

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