What will the environment be like at Busch Stadium in 2025?

The magic of Cardinals Nation is being tested by ownership and by the fans. Over the past couple of years, the rollercoaster of headlines has put the current state of the franchise in an unprecedented position. The front office has failed to produce a pipeline of talent to build around and has tried to fix its failures by spending money and making trades for major-league talent. This has led to further failures to the point where the organization has become a laughing stock within baseball (subscription required).

Ownership has failed by gaslighting fans into thinking the team needs to sell off their stars in order to embrace the RSN contract dilemma. Ownership has also failed where they put the future financial health of the organization in the hands of the fans to where fans need to invest more money into the current product in order for it to improve. Fans have failed the organization by believing this is the lowest point of the franchise and that they will not support the current state of the team until changes are made within the organization. With all of this accumulating, we are now in a very awkward stage for everyone involved.

On-Field Product

Fans have stated they are not supporting the team until John Mozeliak and Oliver Marmol are gone. Ownership has stated they will not invest in the team until fans do. The front office has stated they are not investing in the 2025 team and are reshaping for the future. So what can fans expect if attending a game in 2025? The front office is sacrificing the 2025 season in order for the younger core to develop at the major league level and not bounce around with call-ups and send-downs. They want to see if the current roster is sustainable to build around in the long term, or if they need to change the reset into a full teardown and rebuild under Chaim Bloom.

With that, fans will not be seeing a team competing for a legimate shot at the postseason. Instead, they will see lots of frustrating moments as these players are still figuring out who and what they are to the Major League team. Fans will also need to identify their new favorite players, as old faces either have moved on from the organization or are actively being shopped in trade talks. Several familiar faces will still be around like Brendan Donovan, Lars Nootbaar, Masyn Winn, and Willson Contreras. But for these players, 2025 becomes a platform year to graduate from role players into key factors for the franchise.

For other names being given playing time like Alec Burleson, Nolan Gorman, and Jordan Walker, it is their time to show what value they bring to the organization and give the next front office a reason to keep them around for the future core.

Fan Experience

Bill DeWitt III is taking direction for the fan experience at Busch Stadium. While the on-field product is the main attraction to fans, the DeWitts want fans to enjoy other facets of the ballpark experience outside of the 9 innings played. During the end-of-year press conference to announce the front office changes, DeWitt III spoke in regard to the business side of the organization during 2024. He indicated revenues are down due to TV rights being impacted in the Diamond Sports bankruptcy fiasco, but also due to attendance being down at Busch Stadium. He understands the performance on the field is the key indicator for the dip in revenue.

However, he stated this dip was not far off from the projected revenues for 2024. Since the press conference, the RSN TV rights have been settled with FanDuel taking ownership and the Cardinals retaining 75% of their contract. The team is still adamant about trading their bigger contracts to offset the revenues lost. So if revenues are not far off from projected, and the TV rights deal is settled, why are the Cardinals committing to a payroll reset and lowering the quality of the roster with the known knowledge of fans being upset over the team's performance?

The cloud of smoke being put in front of fans is the total fan experience at Busch Stadium. Ownership indicated changes are being made to improve the ballpark experience for fans in 2025. They want to bring fans back to the ballpark and are making clear indications to fans that their intent is to give fans a reason to come to a ballgame and for season members to keep their ticket packages. So what specifically is being done to achieve this? All fans know is they plan to model after other organizations and utilize what works for their ballpark experiences. So in other words, fans continue to be gaslit and there is zero indication of what ownership plans to do to better improve the ballpark experience outside of the on-field product.

Is it worth it to attend a game?

Given all the circumstances, is there a real reason to attend a St. Louis Cardinals game in 2025? If you are a casual fan who lives in or close to St. Louis, you can still find enjoyment in attending a game. With the expectations for attendance to drop off next season, tickets should drop in price due to supply and demand. If Bill DeWitt III is true to his word on improving other areas of the fan experience, maybe fans looking for affordable fun can achieve this at Busch Stadium in 2025.

For the casual fans who have to travel longer distances to attend a game, it might not be ideal to go in 2025. The front office is not trying to put a quality product on the field for you to watch, there are no franchise icons to watch and admire, and travel expenses continue to rise. If tickets are cheaper, will the cost of vehicle expenses, hotel, and food be worth the journey to St. Louis? For the diehard fans, you will still show up. No matter how frustrated you are with this franchise and their stubbornness to change and evolve with the times, you need Cardinals baseball in your life.

You will still walk into the gates of Busch Stadium and feel the same energy you felt as a kid. You will go to your seat and admire the city backdrop with the organ playing in the background. You will be in awe of watching the game like it is art being drawn before you. The seats being empty will be noticeable, but not enough for it to take away your love for watching the Cardinals. With all of this considered, expect the environment at Busch Stadium to not feel familiar. It will be a different experience for everyone who plans to invest their time and money into the 2025 St. Louis Cardinals.