Max Scherzer stars in the posted to Major League BaseballB次元官网网址檚 TikTok account before the league locked out the players Thursday morning.

The clip, viewed over 400,000 times, shows the final out from ScherzerB次元官网网址檚 first no-hitter in 2015 with Washington, followed by teammates dousing the three-time Cy Young Award winner with chocolate syrup. Hip-hop duo Rae SremmurdB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址淪wangB次元官网网址� plays in the background.

B次元官网网址淢ax Scherzer is B次元官网网址� officially a New York Met!!!B次元官网网址� the caption reads, celebrating ScherzerB次元官网网址檚 $130 million deal to pitch in Queens.

It could be the last post featuring a big league player sent to the accountB次元官网网址檚 4.8 million followers for months, a curveball with real consequences for a sport already concerned about courting young fans.

Even if baseballB次元官网网址檚 first work stoppage in 26 years doesnB次元官网网址檛 result in missed games, the league and its players are at risk of alienating their next wave of fans. Gen Z B次元官网网址� loosely defined as those born between 1995 and 2010 B次元官网网址� has never experience a baseball lockout or strike. Fan sentiment in previous stoppages was driven primarily by interruptions to the schedule, but for a generation that devours bite-sized entertainment faster than its predecessors, thereB次元官网网址檚 potential for lasting damage even if the 2022 regular season starts on time.

For Gen Z, itB次元官网网址檚 all about the content. Suddenly, on social media, MLB doesnB次元官网网址檛 have any featuring stars like Shohei Ohtani or Fernando Tatis Jr.

B次元官网网址淭his content machine that is kind of going on all cylinders B次元官网网址� that all probably either stops completely or is not anywhere near as active as it was,B次元官网网址� said Mark Beal, an expert on Gen Z and an assistant professor in the Rutgers University School of Communication.

For Gen Z, he says, itB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址渙ut of sight, out of mind.B次元官网网址�

Raised in an age of ever-present and seemingly boundless options for entertainment, Gen Z has alarmed the sports industry as a whole and baseball in particular with its waning interest. In a survey by published in September of 2020, just 53% of Gen Z respondents claimed to be at least casual sports fans, behind 69% of Millennials, 66% from Gen X and 61% of Boomers.

Only 32% of Gen Z respondents said they were at least a casual fan of MLB B次元官网网址� trailing the NFL (49%), the NBA (47%) and esports (35%), among others.

The league has been proactively wooing the demographic since restructuring its marketing department in 2018 B次元官网网址� the campaign came months later. The situation isnB次元官网网址檛 all dire, either. Youth has risen in the past decade, compared to drops for football and soccer.

But this year in particular, MLB made significant gains reaching young fans in the most likely place to find them B次元官网网址� TikTok. The league upped its engagement there this summer with running the official MLB account, and its inaugural 11-member Creator Class was unveiled in September.

The leagueB次元官网网址檚 follower count has grown 65.5% to 4.8 million since the contest was announced. Beal, who made the keynote address at last yearB次元官网网址檚 Major League Baseball Speaker Series, called it a B次元官网网址渂est-in-sportsB次元官网网址� engagement tactic for the year.

Now, though, itB次元官网网址檚 unclear what the league can send to those many followers.

To avoid running afoul of federal labor laws during the lockout, MLB has and video highlights of current players from its website. Its old social media posts remain B次元官网网址� making a diving catch, a asking Vladimir Guerrero Jr. for an invite to his next house party B次元官网网址� but the league wonB次元官网网址檛 be posting new content featuring players until the lockout ends.

B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 great momentum there that is building, building, building, and building fandom, too,B次元官网网址� Beal said. B次元官网网址淚f that all of a sudden slows down significantly or comes to almost a halt, then I think the Gen Z eyeballs kind of start tuning into, B次元官网网址榃ell what else is out there?B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址�

Once they wander off B次元官网网址� and the algorithms on TikTok, Instagram and other platforms notice B次元官网网址� it may not be so simple to get them back.

B次元官网网址淚 donB次元官网网址檛 think itB次元官网网址檚 as easy as flicking an on/off switch,B次元官网网址� Beal said. B次元官网网址滻 think itB次元官网网址檚 going to take some time to kind of get the audience to shift their content preferences from what theyB次元官网网址檝e been tuned into since Dec. 1.B次元官网网址�

Of course, just because Mike Trout wonB次元官网网址檛 appear on the AngelsB次元官网网址� accounts doesnB次元官网网址檛 mean he wonB次元官网网址檛 be on social B次元官网网址� the three-time MVP has 1.9 million Instagram followers, most of any big leaguer.

Players can still create their own content, of course, and it only took them a few hours to generate a viral moment after being locked out Thursday. In response to MLB.com replacing player headshots with gray silhouettes, many on Twitter and elsewhere to the same generic image.

While baseball was shut down at the height of the coronavirus pandemic, players like Blake Snell and Trevor May livestreamed esports as a way of engaging with fans. If the lockout drags on, that may happen again. Notably, the MLB The Show video game has a licensing deal for player name, image and likeness rights that exists outside the CBA, so its spring release wonB次元官网网址檛 be affected, the league said.

ThereB次元官网网址檚 also an unprecedented chance for players to address the discourse surrounding the stoppage.

B次元官网网址淓very individual player, whether they chose to or not, does have platforms and channels that didnB次元官网网址檛 exist for players who played in the B次元官网网址�80s or B次元官网网址�90s, where they can communicate directly with fans,B次元官网网址� Beal said.

Fans during previous stoppages generally lacked sympathy for millionaire athletes engaged in labor strife, but Gen Z might have more compassion. Social justice movements like Black Lives Matter have shaped their worldview, and they demand that brands provide good takes along with good products.

B次元官网网址淕en Z is the purpose generation,B次元官网网址� Beal said. B次元官网网址淭hey support companies, brands, organizations, celebrities who demonstrate a higher purpose.B次元官网网址�

That purpose extends to labor rights, too. Per Gallup polling, age 18-34 are pro-union. Specific to sports, Gen Z athletes have earned unprecedented protections and opportunities in college, including an NCAA rule change allowing them to capitalize financially on their name, image and likeness.

That doesnB次元官网网址檛 guarantee Gen Z will side with labor in a showdown between millionaire athletes and billionaire owners.

B次元官网网址淚 donB次元官网网址檛 know if thereB次元官网网址檚 an opportunity with a lockout to demonstrate purpose,B次元官网网址� Beal said. B次元官网网址淕en Z is the purpose generation, and what they might ask is, B次元官网网址榃ell, ultimately, is there a higher purpose to all of this other than just trying to make some more money?B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址擩ake Seiner, The Associated Press