MLB attendance numbers point to a big problem for Steve Cohen and the Mets

When a team is mired in as ugly a 2026 season as the New York Mets have had, you’re justified in wondering why anyone would bother going.

Clearly, a significant amount of those in the tristate area agree. Only six games remain on the team’s home slate, and they've averaged nearly 5,500 fans fewer than last year. Not even Juan Soto or Mr. Met are enough to fill the Citi Field stands, and understandably so.

Considering Citi Field seats nearly 42,000 people, such a steep drop is already concerning in itself. But when you multiply 5,482 by 75, you realize the Mets have had over 411,000 fewer visitors than last season.

That noise you just heard is Steve Cohen sprinting into the team’s business operations office to figure out just what in Endy Chavez’s name has happened in Queens. 

Why have Steve Cohen and the New York Mets seen such a steep attendance drop?

Let’s take a second to address two common misconceptions about attendance, the first being that the Mets’ continued losing is solely to blame for the reduced Citi Field crowds. Mike Trout and the Angels are at risk of their first 100-loss season in franchise history, and they're actually averaging 154 more fans per game than in 2025.

Conversely, the Phillies are 74-48 since Don Mattingly took over in April, yet Citizens Bank Park's attendance has dipped nearly 2,000 fans per night from last year. You’d think people would be going all-out to see Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber trying to hit the Liberty Bell with their latest home runs.

So while it’d be easy to pin the Mets’ attendance issues on their 69-81 record, things aren’t that simple. That’s an inaccurate excuse rooted in laziness, and we urge you to ignore anyone who suggests otherwise. 

The other misconception involves ticket prices. Will it cost far more to attend a game involving the Braves or Dodgers than it would when the Marlins or Rockies come to town? Absolutely, and you don’t need Rodney Dangerfield to tell you that’s basic economics. (The thought of people being too old to recognize the reference stings.)

The overall process of attending a game is both pricey and frustrating. I remember covering the Orange Bowl and Super Bowl LIV (Chiefs-49ers in February 2020) at Hard Rock Stadium and having no trouble getting to Miami Gardens from Delray Beach, roughly an hour north, via Florida’s Turnpike. But they’d shut down the Turnpike during the game, meaning that getting out of the stadium to reach I-95 was, shall we say, quite difficult.

How can Steve Cohen and the New York Mets fix their attendance problems?

The overall MLB attendance numbers will be inflated because the Rays returned to Tropicana Field after a one-year stint at Steinbrenner Field, a nearby Spring Training stadium. Their 7,546 per-game increase easily leads the Majors, and is well over 1,000 more than the AL Central-leading White Sox.

If the Mets want to get people back at Citi Field, the easiest solution is to win. Yes, we know, that sounds contradictory to what we said above, but it’s the truth. Cohen and David Stearns must consider making major moves this offseason.

As for the idea that a lockout would significantly impact next year’s attendance, it’s too early to credibly have an opinion. The 2022 attendance figures are irrelevant here because the pandemic and state-issued restrictions had such a significant impact on the 2021 figures, especially early in the year. 

But if all else fails, the Mets can always set up a boxing ring in center field and have Mr. Met and Phillie Phanatic duke it out. Maybe they can fly Bernie Brewer in and turn it into a wrestling free-for-all. 

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