The trend started with a college baseball team in St. Louis and has since spread to ballparks from Seattle to Philadelphia.
WASHINGTON — Major League Baseball stadiums across the country are seeing a new trend of fans taking over the stands. Groups of mostly young male fans gathered in various corners of the stadium, taking off their shirts and twirling them over their heads while singing football-style chants and songs.
The “tarp” craze that started at a St. Louis Cardinals game earlier this month quickly spread to other Major League Baseball cities, including Seattle, Tampa Bay, Philadelphia, Detroit and Anaheim.
Chad Bitzer has been attending Mariners games for about 13 years and is one of Seattle’s shirtless fans. His reason was simple: “Because everyone else is taking it off. Why not?”
“It’s fresh. It’s a beautiful night. Take it off,” Bitzer said. “The great Northwest night. We live for summer. We live for good weather.”
The campaign began on May 9 at Busch Stadium when 17 members of the Stephen F. Austin State University baseball team watched the Cardinals play during a visit to nearby Alton, Illinois, for the National Club Baseball Division II World Series.
The shirtless cheers grew throughout the night as the Cardinals defeated the Kansas City Royals on the road. According to Major League BaseballCardinals manager Oliver Marmore later bought the group tickets to return the next night and invited them into the Cardinals clubhouse.
“It’s hard not to be happy when the fans are like that,” Cardinals shortstop Marcin Winn said. “We have the best fans in the world, but the younger generation seems to make it more of a college atmosphere.”
Now this could be the start of a tradition — more shirtless fans cheering on the Cardinals during their game against the Buccaneers on Tuesday. This certainly enhanced the club’s home-field advantage: Ivan Herrera hit a three-run homer to help the Cardinals win 9-6 in 10 innings.
Similar incidents involving topless fans broke out at Tampa Bay Rays games on Monday and Tuesday. As the Reds and Phillies played in the rain, another small group celebrated in Philadelphia. Angels fans celebrated with a mix of joy and anger, chanting for owner Arte Moreno to sell the team.
The trend continues in St. Louis, with the Cardinals announcing that the right field bleachers at Busch Stadium will become a “dedicated high-energy fan zone,” according to MLB.
What is Tarps Off trending?
The “Tarps Off” trend involves fans, often in large groups, taking off their shirts during games and waving them over their heads like a tension towel while shouting and cheering loudly.
This phenomenon reflects a common tradition in college football and football games. According to MLB, the current version of this trend can be traced back to college football audiences in 2025, when Oklahoma State fans began going topless and twirling their shirts during a rough season. A college fan accepted his sister’s $10 bet, stood on the field at the stadium, took off his shirt and waved it around.
The idea has now made its way into professional baseball, with fans saying it brings more energy and atmosphere to stadiums.
MLB attendance has increased this season, with an average of about 1,000 more fans per game as of Monday’s games than at this time last year. If this pace continues, baseball will average 30,000 fans per game for the first time since 2016.
Some of them may be wearing less and less shirts.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
