Mets owner blames fans for poor attendance, and the fans are letting him have it

New York Mets owner Steve Cohen lectured his loyal fan base about their attendance habits Tuesday and — spoiler alert — it didn't go over well.

Cohen, one of the 100 richest people in the world according to Forbes, spoke to reporters Tuesday in the Mets' spring training camp about a variety of topics. Among them: attendance at Citi Field last September, when the Mets were chasing down a National League Wild Card berth.

"I didn't like it," Cohen said of the Mets' 18th-place season-long attendance figure. "That really bothered me."

The Mets drew 2.3 million fans last season, fewer than the Colorado Rockies, Los Angeles Angels and Toronto Blue Jays — all last-place teams in their respective divisions.

After going 89-73 in the regular season, and taking the eventual champion Los Angeles Dodgers to Game 6 in the National League Championship Series, the Mets made the biggest investment ever in a professional athlete when Cohen signed Juan Soto to a 15-year, $765 million contract in December.

Cohen was a Mets fan before he was a billionaire, so it's probably unfair to draw a straight line from the Soto signing to today's remarks. He isn't crying poor. Citi Field is hardly the least affordable ballpark experience in MLB, either. According to 2025 data from MoneyGeek.com, they rank near the middle of the pack.

At some level, anyone in Cohen's position can be forgiven for wanting to see more return on his investment. (He bought the Mets for a reported $2.4 billion in 2020.) But in case Cohen thought calling out fans was a good way to ensure said returns, fans clarified that matter in posts tagged with Cohen's Twitter/X handle Tuesday.

"Will probably never happen," wrote one user, "but some affordable seats for kids to attend games. When we were kids, we got used to going to games in 'gen admission', which carried over to our adulthood. Baseball has become totally an elite endeavor. @StevenACohen2"

"Make the experience more affordable @StevenACohen2," wrote another. "$7 hot dog is absurd!!!"

"Affordability for many is the issue," wrote another fan. "I'm the father of three and would love to bring my family to more games. The cost of tickets, food, and parking prohibit this. Is there any chance of more family-friendly pricing options?"

Besides general affordability, Cohen was tagged in numerous posts offering other, more specific suggestions — everything from sensory overload rooms for neurodivergent fans (something many venues offer), to fast ferry options from Staten Island and Lower Manhattan to Queens.

Maybe Cohen wasn't testing the waters of fan opinion in a calculated way when he talked about attendance Tuesday morning, but consider the waters tested. The fans have spoken.

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