Full-capacity Cincinnati Reds crowds in 2021 lower than previous years

ATLANTA – Averaging more than 18,000 fans per game at Great American Ball Park this season, the Cincinnati Reds became the 11th Major League team to draw above a million fans when they crossed the plateau last weekend.

The Reds are averaging 23,836 fans in their 32 home games since GABP returned to full capacity June 2. They’ve had one sellout (40,854 fans vs. Chicago Cubs on July 2) and crowds above 30,000 in nine of their 32 home games at 100% capacity.

“Fans have been sticking with us through rain delays, snow delays, Sunday day games where it’s a million percent humidity,” outfielder Jesse Winker said. “It’s amazing. We’re going to need them down this stretch, and I hope they all know that they give us energy. They give you juice. We’re going to need them coming down this stretch.”

It’s smaller full-capacity crowds than past summers, except for 2018 when the Reds opened the year with a 3-18 record and were quickly buried in the playoff race. Comparing the first 32 home games after June 1 in previous seasons, the Reds averaged from 23,239 fans (2018) to 33,345 fans (2015). They averaged 26,390 fans in the 2019 summer months.

If the Reds maintain their 23,836 average for the rest of the season, they’re on pace to draw more than 1.632 million fans to their home games this year. They drew 1.629 million fans in 2018, which was the club’s lowest total at GABP since moving into the ballpark in 2003, and it was the franchise’s worst attended season since drawing 1.275 million fans in 1984. The Reds drew more than 2.4 million fans from 2013-15.

There are several caveats when comparing the size of this year’s crowds to previous seasons. They’re playing during a global pandemic. The Reds were capped at 30% capacity for the first month of the season and 40% throughout May.  

The Reds could receive an attendance bump in their final 23 home games if they remain in the thick of the playoff race. Entering Tuesday, they were 5.5 games behind the first-place Milwaukee Brewers in the division and 3.5 games back from the San Diego Padres for the second wild-card spot. 

“We had a taste of (the playoffs) last year in a fan-less season and we'd love to do it in front of the home fans,” Joey Votto said. “Making the playoffs last year, competing against a team that pressed the world champions, we'd like another opportunity at that. We have a strong club.”

It’s difficult to make team-by-team attendance comparisons because ballparks reached 100% capacity at different points in the year. The Texas Rangers, who opened a new ballpark in 2020, were the one team that had full capacity all season and they rank third with an average attendance of 27,235 fans.

The Atlanta Braves have drawn a league-high 1.644 million fans, opening their ballpark to full capacity in May. They were the second team in the Majors to reach 100% capacity. The Los Angeles Dodgers, who have the highest average attendance (29,195) in MLB, have drawn at least 40,000 fans to every game since returning to full capacity at Dodger Stadium on June 15, including 10 games above 50,000 fans.