ST. LOUIS – For the second time in their first homestand of the season, the St. Louis Cardinals have reached a new record-low for attendance.

The Cardinals announced an attendance figure (tickets sold) barely above 20,000 for Wednesday’s daytime series finale against the Los Angeles Angels. The total? 20,309.

Right now, that’s the lowest single-game attendance for a non-pandemic crowd in Busch Stadium III history.

Several factors likely contributed to the low turnout: It’s a school day, there are threats of rain and severe weather in the St. Louis region, and the Angels are not the most compelling opponent to watch aside from franchise icon Mike Trout.

Still, Wednesday’s attendance figure likely raises some long-term concerns about fan engagement and whether external factors alone are to blame for the declining turnout.

Some other things to keep in mind with Wednesday’s new record-low:

  • Wednesday’s total attendance (20,309) is the second new record-low this week, dropping below Monday’s total (21,206)
  • In both games, more than half of the available tickets went unsold. A full-capacity crowd is 46,000-plus fans.
  • Just last season, the Cardinals dipped below 30,000 in single-game attendance for the first time in franchise history for non-pandemic games. The lowest attendance mark fell below 26,000 by the season’s end.
  • Attendance is not necessarily a reflection of how many fans show up to a ballpark on a given day, but rather tickets sold for a particular game.

While Wednesday’s low turnout may not be surprising, partly due to factors around that specific game, it remains to be seen whether attendance struggles stretch into the summer.

For some fans, however, the issue may go beyond just day-of factors. Over the last few seasons, fan frustrations have grown over the direction of the Cardinals, most recently evident with audible boos of team president Bill DeWitt III and top executive John Mozeliak on Opening Day.

With limited success beyond the regular season over the last decade, including back-to-back years without the postseason, the Cardinals appear to have some work cut out to rekindle fan enthusiasm, at least in the form of attendance.

The Cardinals conclude a six-game homestand to open their 2025 season on Wednesday, then open the road portion of their schedule Friday against the Boston Red Sox.