The Mets need to re-engage the casual fan...
Plus, the Mets open up a series against the Giants at Citi Field on Friday
What’s Up with the Mets? ⚾️
The Mets enjoyed a much-needed off day to get ready for a series at home against the Giants
The Mets are in danger of having another lost season but if they want to make the playoffs they will need more from their stars (The Athletic)
Citi Field has seen a precipitous drop in attendance this season rivaled only by the Athletics, which might be caused by a variety of factors (North Jersey)
Mark Vientos should be the Mets full-time starting third baseman (Newsday)
Roster Moves 🗞️
Claimed RHP Ty Adcock off waivers from the Tigers, assigned him to Triple-A Syracuse
Down on the Farm 🌾
RHP Blade Tidwell (No. 10 prospect, Triple-A Syracuse): 5.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 3 K, 1 HR
RHP Mike Vasil (No. 11 prospect, Triple-A Syracuse): 5.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 6 K
DH Kevin Parada (No. 9 prospect, Double-A Binghamton): 2-for-5, 2B, RBI, R, BB
BOX SCORES
FCL METS | STL | BRK | BNG | SYR Game 1 | SYR Game 2
Today’s Game 🗓
Match-up: Mets (21-28) vs. Giants (25-26)
Where: Citi Field - Flushing, NY
Starters: RHP Christian Scott (0-2, 4.32 ERA) vs. LHP Kyle Harrison (4-1, 3.60 ERA)
When: 7:10 PM EDT
Where to Watch: SNY
The Mets should be very concerned about the engagement of the casual fan… ✍️
It is sometimes hard to gauge the temperature of Mets fans while being online and active on social media. Mets Twitter (Mets X?) is its own special breed that runs the gamut of folks who want to trade Francisco Lindor and Pete Alonso to those who remain optimistic this team can turn it around (I envy those people).
There is no right way or wrong way to be a fan, but even being incredibly angry or disappointed in the team and discussing it online signals an investment still being made in the team. Maybe not a financial investment but an investment of time which means the fanbase still cares.
What is true is the online Mets fanbase is not always representative of the fanbase as a whole. Mets Twitter might be the loudest voices in the room but they don’t speak for all of the voices in the room.
And the Mets shouldn’t cater to those voices entirely. They’re hiding behind keyboards and screens. Rather, it is the casual fan this organization should be most concerned with right now.
Andrew Treddinick of the Bergen Record recently discussed an alarming decline in attendance at Citi Field so far this season. The Mets have seen a 21.8% decrease per game in comparison to attendance at this time last year. The team also struggled last season so it is hard to pin down what exactly has caused the drop this year. Fans in the article theorized, the team getting off to a tough start, the weather, and the cost of going to the game.
Mets teams have gotten off to bad starts in previous years, yet have never seen attendance this low. The question needs to be asked is the team losing the interest of the casual fan?
The diehards will always remain and will always attend games but what is drawing in everyone else? Families are getting priced out of attending and could think twice about shelling out alot of money just to watch bad baseball, for baseball in general. We are also living in a post-COVID world where there was no baseball for a period of time and people were forced to find other things to do to hold their interest. It is becoming easier and easier to walk away from something that no longer brings any joy and to find something better to do with your time.
The Mets have certainly tried to get butts in the seats. New light shows, a huge scoreboard, a dance crew, and no fees on tickets were all good starts but there has been very little payoff so far.
Perhaps having two future Hall of Famers in Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer was a draw last year but attendance wasn’t good last year and this year’s team is missing that star power and intrigue to draw people in. Lindor, Alonso, and even Edwin Díaz are all struggling and not a draw right now. The buzz from Jacob deGrom’s starts is long gone too.
Two disappointing seasons in a row mixed with an uninspired offseason and then popped into an oven and coming out a deflated mess is a recipe for disaster. Especially when considering the cost.
Perhaps the optimists will be right and the team can sneak into the third Wild Card. If the team goes on a run, the might fans might return but if and when that happens, will they stay?
Around the League 🚩
The Tokyo Dome in Japan, loanDepot park in Miami, Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and Houston’s Minute Maid Park will host the games in the 2026 World Baseball Classic
Commissioner Rob Manfred announced that the automated strike zone will probably not be implemented in the 2025 season
Pirates phenom Paul Skenes was not as sharp in his second outing but still managed to give up just one run in six innings pitched
Luis Arraez picked up four hits against the Reds and recorded eight straight over the past two games. He also extended his on-base streak to twenty-eight
I love baseball and go to the games when I can but..... it has become very expensive and I now attend fewer games than ever before. And it is just not the cost of going to the game. Yes tickets are expensive, parking is expensive, concessions is expensive. Yet, we still need to put food on the table, pay rent or the mortgage, gas up the car, commute to work, pay bills etc.. All are contributing factors to not attending games.
People need entertainment. When the team performs better, attendance will increase.
The Mets just stink. I’ve been a fan since 1967, and I’m tired of bad baseball. Nothing to get excited about. They would have to win the division 20 years in a row to just get even with the Braves. They are the Braves bitches. So tired of it. Tired of the hype of guys like Baty, tired of starters who can’t pitch more than 5 innings. Alonso, the “Star” hits solo hrs but strikes out in key situations, and hits .230, Lindor can’t hit, McNeil can’t hit, our “ace” is hurt, etc. No fire/charisma with this team. It’s bad and it’s boring. No surprise attendance is down and that’s before the cost of attending. They should trade everyone not named Nimmo.