Major League Baseball 2021 Opening Day is here. Opening Day annually brings optimism for every team, and this year it will also feature the return of fans at regular season baseball games. Because of the still ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, fans weren't permitted to attend MLB games last season until the very last rounds of the playoffs.
MLB outlined guidelines for allowing fans back into ballparks this year, and at this point, social distancing and mask wearing will be enforced but no vaccine checks or negative COVID-19 test results will be required. The guidelines are dependent on adhering to the teams' local government guidelines and restrictions.
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred informed teams that they could permit fans to attend games, beginning for the spring training exhibition games. However, to start the regular season, fan attendance for the 2021 MLB regular season won't be the same at each ballpark. So here at CBS Sports, we decided to keep track of each club's decision and latest status regarding fans in their ballpark. Below is every team's latest attendance plan (at least to start the season). The plans figure to change as more Americans receive COVID vaccines and local governments alter gathering guidelines.
Each MLB team's plan for 2021 attendance
Fans in 2021 Tracker
| Team | Fans at Opening Day? | Details | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | The Diamondbacks will allow 20,000 fans at Chase Field to begin the season. | |||
| Yes | The Braves will begin the season with 33% capacity at Truist Park, about 13,500 fans, to start the season. | |||
| Yes | The Orioles will allow 25% capacity -- about 11,000 fans -- at Camden Yards to open the season. | |||
| Yes | To start, Fenway Park will put a 12% capacity cap on fans permitted. The initial limitation means about 4,500 fans will be allowed in the stands. | |||
| Yes | Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot has decided that both Chicago teams may sell tickets for 20 percent of their available seats. This means the White Sox will be able to sell 8,122 tickets to their home games for the time being. The White Sox's home opener is scheduled for April 8. | |||
| Yes | Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot has decided that both Chicago teams may sell tickets for 20 percent of their available seats. This means the Cubs will be able to sell 8,274 tickets to their home games for the time being. The Cubs' home opener is scheduled for April 1. | |||
| Yes | 30% capacity. That's about 12,700 fans at Great American Ballpark. Seating pods will be for no more than six people (recommended that they're from same household). Masks will be required. | |||
| Yes | 30% capacity, or about 10,500 fans allowed at Progressive Field. Seating pods will be for no more than six people (recommended that they're from same household). Masks will be required. | |||
| Yes | The Rockies received approval from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment to allow up to 42.6% capacity for fans at Coors Field. That would mean up to 21,363 fans will be allowed to begin the season. | |||
| Yes | Comerica Park will start the season with 20% capacity, about 8,200 fans. | |||
| Yes | 25% capacity. The Astros will allow up to about 10,300 fans at Minute Maid Park in 2021. | |||
| Yes | The Royals will allow up to 10,000 fans at Kauffman Stadium for April games and plan to increase attendance as the season goes along. | |||
| Yes | The Angels will start the season with 20% capacity at Angel Stadium, roughly 9,000 fans. | |||
| Yes | The Dodgers will start the season with 20% capacity at Dodger Stadium, roughly 11,000 fans. | |||
| Yes | 25% capacity. That translates to a maximum of about 9,300 fans. Marlins Park is a 37,446-seat ballpark. | |||
| Yes | 25% capacity. The Brewers had requested 35% capacity to begin the season from the Milwaukee Health Department, but reached an agreement for 25% capacity. At American Family Field in Milwaukee, that would be about 10,500 fans. | |||
| Yes | The Twins will start the season with a maximum capacity of 10,000 fans at Target Field. | |||
| Yes | 20% capacity. For Yankee Stadium, that would mean about 10,800 fans permitted. Governor Andrew Cuomo announced March 18 that Citi Field and Yankee Stadium will require either a negative COVID-19 test or proof of vaccination for attendees. "As the COVID rates continue to improve, capacity rates will continue to increase," Cuomo said. | |||
| Yes | 20% capacity. That's about 8,400 fans at Citi Field. Governor Andrew Cuomo announced March 18 that Citi Field and Yankee Stadium will require either a negative COVID-19 test or proof of vaccination for attendees. "As the COVID rates continue to improve, capacity rates will continue to increase," Cuomo said. | |||
| Undetermined | The Oakland A's will begin the season with 20% capacity at the Coliseum, roughly 9,400 fans. | |||
| Yes | 20% capacity. For Citizens Bank Park, that would mean 8,800 fans permitted. The Phillies announced that tickets to the first 19 regular season games will be offered initially to season ticket holders. | |||
| Yes | 20% capacity. That's up to 7,800 fans who will be allowed to attend games at PNC Park. | |||
| Yes | The Padres will allow 20% capacity to start the season, roughly 8,500 fans at Petco Park. | |||
| Yes | The Giants will allow 20% capacity to start the season, roughly 8,400 fans at Oracle Park. | |||
| Yes | The Mariners will start the season with a maximum capacity of 9,000 fans at T-Mobile Park. | |||
| Yes | The Cardinals will have 32% capacity to start the season, roughly 14,500 fans at Busch Stadium. | |||
| Yes | The Rays will begin the season with a maximum capacity of 9,000 fans at the indoor Tropicana Field. | |||
| Yes | The Texas Rangers used their new ballpark, Globe Life Field, to host fans throughout the Championship Series and World Series last postseason. The club's plan for inviting fans back to Arlington for 2021 includes full capacity. That means that 40,518 fans will be allowed for their home opener on April 5. Despite Texas Governor Greg Abbott's lifting of the mask mandate (made against health officials' recommendations), the Rangers have said masks will be required to attend games. The team plans to use socially distanced seating, however, for games after Opening Day. | |||
| Likely yes | The Blue Jays are going to play their home games in Florida to start the 2021 regular season, due to the Canada-U.S. border closure because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Currently, the club is allowing 15% capacity for spring training games at TD Ballpark, with tickets sold in pods of two or four and socially distanced throughout the ballpark. It appears likely they team will use the same capacity for regular season games. | |||
| Yes | The Nationals will have 5,000 fans in attendance for their April 1 opener against the Mets in Washington D.C. |
