St. Louis, MO, United States (AHN) - The St. Louis Cardinals are gaining a significant boost from their followers this season, as they topped the survey for the highest local television ratings in MLB, multiple news publications reported Tuesday.
Based on the latest results, the Cardinals games on Fox Sports Midwest received a 9.70 average rating, which was 42 percent higher from last year.
The Cardinals are aiming to topple the Boston Red Sox, who have led the league in local television ratings for six years.
The Red Sox games on NESN plummeted sharply this season with a 6.25 average rating, 36 percent lower from last season's survey-topping result.
The Cardinals, who currently lead the NL Central with a 55-44 record, have been a smash hit in the St. Louis area due to their high-powered offense, led by sluggers Matt Holliday and Albert Pujols.
Teams trailing the Cards are: the Minnesota Twins (7.85 on FS North), Philadelphia Phillies (7.20 on CSN Philadelphia), and Cincinnati Reds (6.52 on FS Ohio).
The marketing appeal of rookie sensation Stephen Strasburg also lifted the Washington Nationals slightly in the survey, beating the Los Angeles Angels (1.23 on FS Wes) and the Oakland Athletics (1.23 on CSN California) with a 1.34 average rating - 139 percent higher from last season - on MASN and MASN2.
The survey also indicated that every time Strasburg appears on the mound, the Nationals' television rating increased from 1.34 to 4.4.
