New MLB app innovation makes booing the Astros possible in 2020

Even though fans can’t be in the stands this season, the MLB is making sure that players will still hear it when we boo from a distance.

The Houston Astros may be the most universally hated franchise in all of sports, and they were about to get away with walking on the field to recorded cheers this season. Fortunately for baseball fans everywhere, new technology in the league app will allow fans to react with to games with clapping, cheers, and boos in real time, and the sounds in the stadium will be adjusted accordingly.

Ratings for Astros games are about to go through the roof, because every baseball fan will be tuned in to crank up the booing every single time they play. Frankly, it’s the least the organization deserves after the MLB completely bungled the “punishment” for the team’s sign stealing scandal. Not a single player was suspended or fined, and the league refused to strip the Astros of the 2017 World Series, so we’ll happily force them to listen to blaring boos in their empty stadium.

While the obvious best use of this feature is hating on the Astros, this is a legitimately cool idea that would be awesome to see across other leagues as well. It’s unfortunate that we’ll all be stuck yelling at our televisions instead of cheering alongside thousands of other fans this year, but this is a great solution to letting fans engage in the game from home.

Plus, players have already voiced how strange it would be to play in a silent stadium, so this will be good for them too. We don’t want them getting big heads from hearing nothing but cheers every game. A little booing keeps even our favorite teams humble, and the ability to boo rivals from home is an amazing power.

Baseball coming back was exciting enough, but this is really the cherry on top. For anyone who was wondering, the Astros open their season against the Seattle Mariners on July 24. Keep your phones charged and get your apps ready to boo.