Mets' home opener was hit at box office; will rest of season be same?
Mets fans during the home opener at Citi Field on Friday. Credit: Newsday/Alejandra Villa Loarca
On Friday, the Mets drew a sellout crowd of 43,945 to Citi Field for their home-opening 5-0 win over the Blue Jays.
Somewhere, Steve Cohen was smiling.
Actually, that somewhere was Citi Field, where not even a cratering stock market could keep the billionaire hedge fund mogul from the thrilling spectacle of Juan Soto’s first home Mets game.
Remember, it was Cohen who in spring training said the Mets’ 2024 attendance drop of 9.5% from 2023 “really bothered me. People didn’t show up.”
So the club spent the offseason with a mission to grow attendance. Of course, signing Soto to his record $765 million contract was the biggest move to improve ticket sales. Cohen said they’ve seen “a significant percentage increase.”
The home opener, though, is not a true test. That sells out every year.
What about the next few games, when the season is in its infancy and the weather is iffy (or worse)?
If you’re keeping score at home, the attendance for Saturday night’s game against Toronto was a whopping 37,694. That’s on a cold (45 degrees at first pitch), rainy night against an opponent that isn’t a draw for Mets fans. It’s about 5,000 more than what the Mets got for their second home game of 2024 (against Milwaukee, another non-draw).
The more impressive and potentially significant number is for Sunday afternoon, also against Toronto, and also with a questionable weather forecast.
Last year, on the first Sunday of the season, the Mets drew exactly 22,222 — a nearly 20,000 drop from the home opener.
This year, the Mets are expecting about 40,000 for what they are calling “Kids Opening Day” as they introduce Family Sundays, which feature ticket offers for four starting at $50, pregame entertainment outside the stadium in Mets Plaza and what the club is calling “family-focused activities” throughout the ballpark.
What about when a Sunday game gets moved to ESPN’s “Sunday Night Baseball,” you’re wondering? What if I buy tickets for the kids only to see an afternoon game moved to night? Many fans correctly harrumph when that happens to them.
The Mets tried to account for that by excluding their home games on May 25 versus the Dodgers (chosen by ESPN for Sunday night) and July 6 versus the Yankees (not chosen yet by ESPN, but likely to be) from the four-tickets-for-$50 offer.
Credit to the Mets for putting Cohen’s money where his mouth is. Not only is he spending an estimated $332 million in payroll, but the team is trying to juice up the fan experience and make it more affordable for families.
Some ballpark initiatives work better than others. The Queens Crew dance team isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, and probably won’t lead to increased or decreased attendance.
The Mets tried pregame block parties outside the stadium, and that seemed to work well. So much so that every Saturday game in 2025 will feature one, beginning three hours before game time.
Everybody loves fireworks nights, or at least the Mets think so: They have eight scheduled, all on Fridays.
Fans reflexively seem to nod “yes” to any bobblehead giveaway. The Mets have 10 scheduled throughout the season.
The new third-inning 5 Borough Mascot Race was a hit when it debuted on Friday. It does seem a bit rigged in advance, though: How on Earth would a Bronx-themed giraffe mascot (chosen because the Bronx has a famous zoo) ever be allowed to win a race in Queens?
Of course, all that stuff won’t mean squat if the team tanks. But that seems unlikely, as the Mets have assembled a squad that could be a force in the postseason, as the club unexpectedly was last year.
This time it wouldn’t be a surprise. And the fans won’t have to be cajoled into coming out to the ballpark, as they were last season by Brandon Nimmo before late-September games.
The fans responded, selling out the final series and turning Citi Field into the place to be in the postseason.
Now the Mets are expecting — hoping? — fans turn out all season long. The next series — Monday to Wednesday against Miami — will be another interesting barometer.
Last season, the first weekday home series against Detroit featured the lowest non-COVID attendance in Citi Field history of 15,020 (the series included two rainouts amid truly dreadful weather).
This year? Despite the April weather, despite the low-intensity opponent in Miami, despite the kids being in school, will Mets fans come out in greater numbers than in 2024 to enjoy an early-season night or day at the ballpark?
After the Mets’ walk-off 3-2 victory on Saturday night, manager Carlos Mendoza ended his postgame news conference by exclaiming — it was not in response to a question — that he was impressed by the size of the crowd, which he underestimated at about 30,000.
“I’ve got to give a shout-out to the fans!” Mendoza said. “On a game when the conditions are tough. Nice going.”
Anthony Rieber covers baseball, as well as the NFL, NBA and NHL. He has worked at Newsday since Aug. 31, 1998, and has been in his current position since July 5, 2004.
