Recorded fan optimism for the Cardinals has reached an all-time low

The St. Louis Cardinals are are finding themselves mired in the throes of fan anger and apathy in 2025, an environment that has been nearly foreign to the team over the past 20 years. In The Athletic's annual baseball team "Hope-O-Meter" rankings (subscription required), the Cardinals placed 27th, with an 11.9% fan optimism rate. It's by far the most pessimistic that Cardinals fans have been in the four seasons that The Athletic has run the poll.

The Cardinals are positioned one spot behind the Miami Marlins, who finished 62-100 in 2024, in the fan optimism poll, and most of that has to do with the Cardinals' prior run of success. Cardinals fans have historically been satisfied by nothing less than a deep postseason run every year, so despite the team more likely finishing closer to .500 than losing 100 or more games in 2025, there is clearly a stark difference between the perspectives of Cardinals fans, who may see a losing season as unacceptable, and Marlins fans, who could be numb to their team's mediocrity.

Cardinals fans are already voicing their displeasure with the team. Following the Cardinals' disastrous 71-91 season in 2023, attendance at home games dwindled, as the Cardinals drew fewer than 3 million fans for the first time in modern Busch Stadium's history, which dates back to 2006. As of late February, many tickets to Opening Day in 2025 remained unsold.

There is still reason to be optimistic about the Cardinals in 2025, even if it's not in the final score.

It may be difficult to drum up excitement for the Cardinals on the field in 2025; after all, they were the only team not to spend a cent in free agency in the offseason. But the team remains worth following given the number of players who are being evaluated to see whether they can be pieces of the next competitive iteration of the Cardinals. There is room for optimism regarding Jordan Walker's improvement at the plate and in the outfield, as the Cardinals appear committed to keeping him in the major leagues instead of sending him packing to Memphis. The lack of pressure on his job and the absence of a threat of a demotion could be welcome for Walker and lead to a breakout season.

Other players looking to prove themselves include Ivan Herrera, who needs to show that he can throw runners out from behind the plate; Lars Nootbaar, who is attempting to stay healthy for a full season; and Victor Scott, who is looking to prove that he can hit at a major league level and find his way into a future center field job in St. Louis.

The rampant negativity throughout Cardinals Nation is understandable, but for the curious Cardinals fan, 2025 should be a riveting season when it comes to seeing how several of the potential core players pan out. The expectations for the team have clearly diminished, but this season is about the bigger picture of the Cardinals as a franchise and the route they will embark on in the future.