Participation in youth baseball has been "on the rise" over the last six years, and MLB is "encouraged that kids are returning to baseball and sticking with it," according to Ben Nuckols of the AP. The number of U.S. kids playing baseball and softball combined between '13-18 "increased by nearly 3 million." During that same period, participation in soccer and football "declined and basketball increased only slightly." Sports Fitness & Industry Association President & CEO Tom Cove said, "The increase in baseball participation is real, there's no question about it, and it's substantial. It's statistically significant without a doubt." Nuckols noted more than 25 million kids played baseball or softball in '18, and "nearly 15 million of those were 'core' players who played 13 or more times in a year." The number of participants in youth football -- including tackle, touch and flag -- was "down by nearly 1.7 million over the same stretch, and soccer participation dropped by nearly 900,000." The Aspen Institute, which promotes youth sports participation and uses SFIA data, noted 13.6% of kids ages 6-12 played baseball in '18, a 3% increase from '15. Baseball was the "second-most popular sport for kids in that age group, after basketball, which had a 14.1% participation rate" (AP, 8/23).
