Twins Lackluster Attendance and Impacts On the Team’s Sale

[Cody Christie]

Minnesota’s poor play in their first home series was front and center, but fans might not have noticed another off-field problem. The Twins are struggling to sell tickets, which might impact the team’s potential sale.

Image courtesy of © Matt Blewett-USA TODAY Sports

By all accounts, the home opening series against the Astros should have been a breath of fresh air for Minnesota Twins fans eager to see their team back in action. Instead, Target Field looked more like an afterthought. Even with its sunny April weather and a marquee opponent, the season opener failed to produce a sell-out. It’s a stark reminder of the downward spiral in fan morale since the euphoria surrounding the team during their 2023 postseason.

Even though the team heavily discounted tickets to lure even the most casual fans, game attendance numbers told a grim story. Game 1 attracted 36,873 fans, which looks high, but teams should sell out their opener, and the Twins fell short. However, the optimism dissipated rapidly after that initial game. Game 2’s crowd fell precipitously to just 16,082, and by Game 3, only 14,638 fans were present for what was branded as Kids Opening Day. In total, the Twins managed to sell just 67,503 tickets over the three-game series. It’s a total that raises uncomfortable questions about the state of the franchise’s fan base and overall market appeal.

These figures are even more troubling when compared to previous seasons. Last year, the Twins sold 61,401 tickets for the first two games against the Cleveland Guardians, even though the third game was washed out by rain. Two years ago, in a similarly structured three-game series against Houston, the Twins sold a robust 79,111 tickets. The current numbers are not only a regression from that more optimistic period but also an alarming sign that something deeper is at play.

What’s driving this alarming decline? The answer lies in a perfect storm of factors, starting with a pervasive sense of disillusionment among the fan base. After the 2023 season, fan morale was high, but then the ownership cut payroll heading into the 2024 season. Besides the payroll limitations, the team’s television situation was a nightmare last year. Then the team went from a near playoff lock to collapsing and missing the postseason. Minnesota’s fan optimism is near an all-time low, even with the team projected to be in contention for the AL Central title. 

Yet, the issues extend beyond the ballpark. Off the field, the looming uncertainty surrounding the Twins' future only adds to the overall sense of unease. Recent reports have thrown a harsh spotlight on the state of the franchise’s ownership. USA Today’s Bobby Nightengale noted, “The Minnesota Twins, who were asking interested parties to submit their bids by April 1, now are telling prospective owners they have another 45 days as they continue to seek $1.7 billion.” 

La Velle Neal painted a similar picture recently in the Star Tribune. He discussed that the Pohlads' offers are below their expectations. Neal even predicted that a sale might only materialize in August or September, a timeline that hardly offers any reassurance to a fan base already bracing for further instability.

The implications of these ownership issues cannot be overstated. Not getting fans to the games can make it challenging for the Pohlads to demand $1.7 billion when they have reported offers for $1.5 billion. Recently, I laid out the three possible outcomes of a Twins sale, and two of the three possible scenarios are likely to leave fans feeling bewildered. The prospect of the Pohlads sticking around even in a diminished capacity would spell disaster, not just for ticket sales, but for the overall identity of the Twins. 

It’s a classic case of short-term fixes failing to mask deeper systemic issues. Even with strategic price cuts and marquee opponents on the team’s early schedule, the team is finding it increasingly difficult to fill the seats at Target Field. The disheartening trend of plummeting attendance is symptomatic of a franchise at a crossroads. Fans want more than just a good deal or an interesting opponent. They want to believe in the future of their team. When the excitement fizzles out before the first pitch is even thrown, it speaks volumes about the state of the organization.

At this juncture, Twins officials would be well-advised to take a long, hard look at the broader picture. The immediate drop in attendance post-Opening Day should serve as a wake-up call. The ownership situation, fan morale, and overall strategic direction of the franchise are all interwoven, and a failure to address these challenges head-on may have long-lasting repercussions on the Twins’ ability to compete both on and off the field.

The lackluster attendance in the season's early going is more than a numbers game. It’s a mirror reflecting the discontent of a fan base that feels let down by both the team’s on-field performance and off-field management. For the Twins, the road ahead will require more than temporary measures. It will require a concerted effort to rebuild trust, reenergize fans, and secure a future that is as bright as the April sun that once shone over a nearly empty Target Field.

Will attendance improve at Target Field this year? Does lackluster attendance impact the team’s potential sale? Leave a comment and start the discussion.

 

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[Mark G]

In my extremely humble opinion the team needs to do an advertising campaign blitz opening up to the fans honestly.  Brag about the accomplishments, own up to the failures, and talk openly about the potential sale.  They also need to bring in fresh faces into the FO and give them a mandate to be open with the fans; treat them as partners in this and not take them for granted.  The fans want to support their team, but they need to know it matters.  Of course I don't expect them to go public with details about the potential buyers finances, etc., but address the rumors as they come up and not let them fester until no one knows what to believe.  Trust us, and we might start trusting you.  Otherwise, what you see is your future and no potential buyer wants that future.  

[mikelink45]

As fans, it's tough to show your discontent and not lose your team to some other City. The twins are a public relations disaster and the Pohlads amaze me.  How can these very rich men not understand public relations.  

[hitterscount]

Kind of like never washing your vehicle and oil changes once every 25,000 miles when the check engine light comes on, then asking top price when you go to sell it. 
Not holding anyone accountable for lackluster play, last year’s collapse and having a handful of players that aren’t MLB caliber currently on the roster and thinking fans and prospective buyers are going to be hyped is tone deaf at best. 

[Whitey333]

 

 

[Whitey333]

Attendance will bottom out at around 1.6 to 1.7 this year.  There could also be a significant payroll dump by the trade deadline.  I think the Pohlads have done a decent job providing payroll dollars but a lousy job of supervising it's usage. Falvey does a lousy job of budgeting payroll given to him.  Baldelli does a poor job of managing and playing sound and entertaining baseball.  A true organizational failure.

[Blyleven2011]

If the pohlads still owns the team when Forbes post values again for team's  , the pohlads are in for a disappointment once again as the value of the twins should be less ...

Get rid of this total system failure and right the ship because it is sinking  ...

[#3Killer]

You are making this too complicated. I choose not to drive 4 hours and spend several hundred dollars to see a lackluster effort by participant's, Baldelli’s  insane lineup manipulations, and a team that cumulatively hits below the Mendoza line. If they fire up and start playing well- I’ll be there. 

[Trov]

The only cure for poor attendance is winning, but you also need entertaining baseball.  The game is about entertainment.  Sadly, this team has lacked that in recent years.  Even when they were on winning streaks, I have not felt all that entertained by the team.  I personally think it is the lack of balls in play in the past.  I know this year they are trying to get more balls in play, but watching your offense just sputter every game striking out a dozen times with no scoring threats just gets boring to watch.  Also, our defense is not know for making highlight type plays which is also entertaining. 

In terms of what it means to the sale, personally I do not care.  I am not trying to buy or sell the team.  Teams are now mostly investment tools for rich people and not about being fans and winning.  Unless we get a rich fan of the game the new owner will not be much different from the current ones. 

[LastOnePicked]

There are just so many ingredients coming together for a rebuild. It wouldn't surprise me one bit if the team tries to unload Correa and Lopez near the deadline, and then sits back and puts out a league-minimum salary squad for 5-6 years. The Pohlads will collect the revenue sharing cash, pay off their debts, and then consider selling again when the next wave of prospects emerges.

[CRF]

Put a decent product on the field, and play better as a team, and fans will come...no matter what the cost(s) are of attending a game...and believe me, it ain't cheap by any means. I also think all Twins fans are getting real tired of the way this organization is run...from ownership on down. There has to be a new ownership group in here for anything to change going forward. 

[tony&rodney]

Most people could care less who owns the team. Who owns the Texas Rangers? The Twins could actually increase attendance and wins by playing a better brand of baseball. Good weather and winning helps draw people to the games. It is probably too early in the schedule to make predictions or pronouncements concerning the 2025 attendance, but the total numbers do make a difference when October rolls around.

[DJL44]

I think the Twin Cities market is pretty saturated for sports. There are options for MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL, MLS, WNBA, Big Ten NCAA, tons of D1 hockey, professional women's hockey and soccer as well as AAA baseball. MLB is the #3 sport in the US, and it might be the #4 sport in this market due to the popularity of hockey. If you're a casual baseball fan, you'll have more fun at a Saints game than a Twins game. That's a lot of competition for the same dollar and the Twins have been losing the competition.

[LambchoP]

Ownership has absolutely tanked fan support the last few years. Cutting payroll at the worst time, the blackouts and TV debacle, refusing to improve the team. Can they really be surprised nobody wants to spend their hard earned money to come watch a team that looks and plays like a little league team? Winning teams sell tickets. Exciting teams sells tickets. The twins are neither. They are a losing, uncoordinated group of guys that play low energy robotic baseball. Nobody wants to see that. Even watching them on TV for free makes me want a refund!

[twinzcynic]

40 minutes ago, #3Killer said:

You are making this too complicated. I choose not to drive 4 hours and spend several hundred dollars to see a lackluster effort by participant's, Baldelli’s  insane lineup manipulations, and a team that cumulatively hits below the Mendoza line. If they fire up and start playing well- I’ll be there. 

This is a large part of it for me as well. If I spend the time and money to take my family to a ballgame, I want it to be a good entertaining product. As much as some in here love starters going 5 then handing it to their bullpens, or the hitting philosophies that have been implemented since the beginning of the Falvine saga, I would much rather go to a game where something exceptional happens including: spectacular defensive plays (either by us (lol) or the opposing team (in which case you have to actually make decent regular contact)), an exceptional pitching performance (dare I say a complete game?), or an offense that has any sort of situational skill ("bUt ThaT's RanDOMizEd" - analytics nerdz).  

[Fire Dan Gladden]

As much complaining as there is about the FO, Baldelli, and perceived lack of effort, there is a heck of a lot more that goes into attendance than just on-field performance. Marketing, ballpark experience, ticket and food costs to name a few.

We all know how bad the PR is between fans and ownership. This is not new, it has been an issue for years. As was mentioned earlier, I do not understand how billionaires do not know that hiring a whiz marketing and financial analyst department can reap financial benefits that ripple out.  This includes getting more butts in the seats.

We saw the St. Paul Saints do it for years and years when they were an independent team.  

[Parfigliano]

1 hour ago, mikelink45 said:

As fans, it's tough to show your discontent and not lose your team to some other City. The twins are a public relations disaster and the Pohlads amaze me.  How can these very rich men not understand public relations.  

 Born on 3rd think they hit a triple.  Nothing they do is ever wrong.

[bean5302]

1 hour ago, mikelink45 said:

As fans, it's tough to show your discontent and not lose your team to some other City. The twins are a public relations disaster and the Pohlads amaze me.  How can these very rich men not understand public relations.  

Oakland did it for almost 30 straight years before they lost their team. It's difficult to move MLB franchises. People think of the Expos moving recently, but that was 20 years ago. Before the Athletics, no team in baseball had moved in two decades. Aside from that, the Twins cannot move for another 15 years.

While the Pohlads are a public relations disaster, I don't think the Twins are at all. The public is apathetic towards the team, and that's just a factor of poor marketing.

[Bodie]

I think you are missing something...

I grew up, and recently returned to my hometown.  It is about 45 minutes south of Rochester.  Growing up, I knew several families who would take a trip north for a weekend in the Cities centered around a Twins game (or two) and shopping (even the gals from a town of 800 want the newest fashions).

I know several of them again (after 35 years away) will never again set foot in the Twin Cities after your Floyd reactions.  They simply see Minny/StP as unsafe.  The more "political" of them swear they'll never allow Minnesota another cent in tax money.

While living previously in South Dakota, the feeling was similar, if not even more pronounced. 

Not good signs for a regional team.  Whether you agree with them or not, it is a huge factor outside the metro region.

[bean5302]

The Twins are following a broken model for marketing. It's old fashioned, out of date, and it won't be successful.

The Twins should to be marketing to the fans at the Minnesota United games. They should to be marketing to high schools. They absolutely need to be marketing to people in the North Loop. I mean.. come on, that's just... it's just marketing 101. But the Twins don't.

[TwinsDr2021]

52 minutes ago, #3Killer said:

You are making this too complicated. I choose not to drive 4 hours and spend several hundred dollars to see a lackluster effort by participant's, Baldelli’s  insane lineup manipulations, and a team that cumulatively hits below the Mendoza line. If they fire up and start playing well- I’ll be there. 

I agree with most of this (lineup manipulation I don't), they have nobody exciting to watch, all the young guys that are supposed to be exciting get hurt (as well as Buxton)

They play a very boring brand of baseball with no real youth (like they had with Buxton, Berrios, Sano, Polanco, Rosario), I can watch any game I want on TV an find myself tuning into the young Jackson's because just just never know what you are going to see.

As for attending, there is little to no chance I am paying for a ticket to watch this team play, if I do go to a game it will be to watch the other teams guys.

[Guest]

The state of the franchise reflects the state of the Cities.  Everyone needs to look in the mirror.  Downtown hasn't bounced back post-pandemic.  It's dreary and depressing.  Immense civic pride that existed when Target Field was built has devolved to an environment that's unfriendly to capitalism, and there's really no other way to put that. It's no coincidence media interest waned. Cutting payroll in the face of the area's decline was a very reasonable financial response.  If the fan base is expecting a new ownership group to sashay in, blithely put down $1.7B,  and spend on players like there's no economic downside, then the fan base needs to take a cold shower.  Rebuilding trust isn't a one-way street.  Under current economic circumstances no one should reasonably expect attendance to improve at Target Field this year, and no one should expect a franchise deal at $1.7B anytime soon.

 

[bean5302]

Almost nobody pays to watch the Twins play. Ever. It's never going to happen.

The core market for season ticket holder attendance at MLB games is people who live within 5 miles from the stadium (or corporate ticket holders), and the core of overall attendance is people who live within 20 miles.

The vast majority of any major sport fan audience is people looking to be entertained. They don't really care who is on the roster or who is playing. Ticket holders care about the ambiance, and the prestige of attending a game. With short attention spans these days, baseball struggles with action and pacing. In terms of major sport entertainment value for watching action during the games Basketball > Hockey > Soccer > Football > Baseball. Even with Manfred's push to speed up game play (the right move), baseball needs to be marketed in a different way. Ambiance breeds attendance more than any other sport, and attendance breeds prestige.

Take me out to the ball game <--- prestige
Take me out with the crowd game <--- ambiance
Buy me some peanuts and cracker jack <--- ambiance
I don't care if I never get back <--- ambiance
Lets root, root, root for the home team <--- ambiance, team
If they don't win it's a shame <--- team
For it's 1, 2, 3 strikes you're out at the old ball game <--- ambiance

 

[bean5302]

9 minutes ago, Minderbinder said:

The state of the franchise reflects the state of the Cities.  Everyone needs to look in the mirror.  Downtown hasn't bounced back post-pandemic.  It's dreary and depressing.  Immense civic pride that existed when Target Field was built has devolved to an environment that's unfriendly to capitalism, and there's really no other way to put that. It's no coincidence media interest waned. Cutting payroll in the face of the area's decline was a very reasonable financial response.  If the fan base is expecting a new ownership group to sashay in, blithely put down $1.7B,  and spend on players like there's no economic downside, then the fan base needs to take a cold shower.  Rebuilding trust isn't a one-way street.  Under current economic circumstances no one should reasonably expect attendance to improve at Target Field this year, and no one should expect a franchise deal at $1.7B anytime soon.

 

Target Field is considered as much in North Loop as it is downtown. Based on your comments, not sure you spend much time there or near there.

[DJL44]

29 minutes ago, Bodie said:

I know several of them again (after 35 years away) will never again set foot in the Twin Cities after your Floyd reactions.  They simply see Minny/StP as unsafe.  The more "political" of them swear they'll never allow Minnesota another cent in tax money.

While living previously in South Dakota, the feeling was similar, if not even more pronounced. 

Not good signs for a regional team.  Whether you agree with them or not, it is a huge factor outside the metro region.

I think it's a massive overreaction and the Twin Cities are as safe as St Cloud. I will agree that there are people who say things like that. However, it doesn't explain why the Vikings, Wild and Wolves are still able to draw fans while the Twins are struggling.

[DJL44]

13 minutes ago, bean5302 said:

The vast majority of any major sport fan audience is people looking to be entertained. They don't really care who is on the roster or who is playing. Ticket holders care about the ambiance, and the prestige of attending a game. 

The Saints are much better than the Twins at this.

[TwinsDr2021]

20 minutes ago, DJL44 said:

I think it's a massive overreaction and the Twin Cities are as safe as St Cloud. I will agree that there are people who say things like that. However, it doesn't explain why the Vikings, Wild and Wolves are still able to draw fans while the Twins are struggling.

I agree with you on safety, but the Wolves have Ant and a have been spending money on trying to win, the Wild are the different because it is the state of hockey, the Vikings play 9 home games. The Twins don't have that star power, they play a boring brand of baseball and there are 162 games.

If Jenkins, EROD or some early 20's guys that had a hall of fame type tragedy it would help, might not overcome everything but it would help, nobody except a few people on here care to watch Keirsay, Gasper, Vazquez or any of the unproven 26+ unproven players.

Edit Add - I will add that while most people I know believe that downtown is safe, most also don't like giving MPLS any of there money.

[Patzky]

54 minutes ago, Bodie said:

I think you are missing something...

I grew up, and recently returned to my hometown.  It is about 45 minutes south of Rochester.  Growing up, I knew several families who would take a trip north for a weekend in the Cities centered around a Twins game (or two) and shopping (even the gals from a town of 800 want the newest fashions).

I know several of them again (after 35 years away) will never again set foot in the Twin Cities after your Floyd reactions.  They simply see Minny/StP as unsafe.  The more "political" of them swear they'll never allow Minnesota another cent in tax money.

While living previously in South Dakota, the feeling was similar, if not even more pronounced. 

Not good signs for a regional team.  Whether you agree with them or not, it is a huge factor outside the metro region.

That's a very unfair philosophy but an impossible one to fix with facts alone in 2025. 

[jkiemele]

Two observations from a Twins fan afar living in Arizona. 
 

1. The current team has no identity. It’s no longer Mauer and Morneau. The Bomba Squad has sailed away. The piranhas haven’t been seen in years. There are many other examples, but none that speak of this team. Buxton and Correa don’t spark the same. Without an identity, fans won’t gravitate to a team. 
 

2. The price to take a family to a game now is insane. Even going solo is often more than comparable entertainment activities. The economic reality is real. You can buy Twins TV for $100 and come out way ahead, especially if there’s not much reason to see the team in person. As noted in the first point. 

[Byrdman]

Honestly, no one can afford to go to the game.  We cant anymore, sports and entertainment was the first thing cut with everything else getting so expensive.  20$ for parking, family of 5 for mid range tickets are 200$.  Food for the kids and family another 150$.  Why would I do that when we can go to a park or other things that are way cheaper.  My kids will probably enjoy the cheaper option more than the game anyway.