Twins' April home games had worst attendance since 2019
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It was a gloomy month at Target Field, and we're not talking about the weather.
The big picture: The Twins drew an average of 17,030 fans per game in April — the fifth-worst in MLB this year, and the team's second-worst month for attendance since it left the Metrodome in 2009, according to an Axios analysis.
- We didn't count two seasons with heavy COVID restrictions on fans at Target Field, which has a capacity of 38,544.
Case in point: Fewer fans turned out on April 14 (10,240) than for any other non-COVID Twins home game since 2010.
- Of the 15 smallest crowds in Target Field history, five have come this month.
The on-field product has given fans few reasons to buy more tickets. A late-season collapse that cost the Twins a playoff spot last year carried over into this season, with losses in 12 of the team's first 17 games.
What they're saying: Some of the smaller crowds might also stem from a membership program the team debuted this year, club spokesperson Dustin Morse told Axios.
- The program features flexible ticketing, so members may have swapped their April seats for a game in warmer months, Morse explained.
The other side: Minnesota sports fans are voting with their feet, The Athletic's Aaron Gleeman argues.
- Many are rebelling against Twins ownership's "very difficult business decision" to slash payroll after an inspiring 2023 season, Gleeman wrote.
- Some may be more drawn in by the Timberwolves and Wild's spring playoff runs.
The intrigue: April weather usually keeps fans at home — but this spring has been no colder or wetter than usual, according to our analysis of game day climate data.
- This April's average game day high (59.5) was slightly warmer than in previous years (58.5).
- About a quarter-inch of rain fell on game days, which is typical.
For comparison, the 2019 Twins drew the smallest early-season crowds of any Target Field team to date: an average of 17,008 per game.
- Game days in April 2019 were cold (average high: 50.9) and saw more than 1.3 inches of rain.
Reality check: 2019 showed that empty April seats aren't always an omen.
- That year's "Bomba Squad" won an AL Central title — and was the last Twins team to draw more than 2 million fans.
What's next: Team officials aren't "hitting the panic button" yet, Morse said, noting they still believe hitting the 2 million-fan benchmark is possible this season.
- He noted most of the Twins' biggest promotional events, which the team strategically schedules between Memorial Day and Labor Day, are still to come.
What we're watching: Whether warmer weather or the team's recent bounce back — with wins in nine of the last 14 games — boosts ticket sales.