{"id":583785,"date":"2026-02-20T23:48:29","date_gmt":"2026-02-20T23:48:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/583785\/"},"modified":"2026-02-20T23:48:29","modified_gmt":"2026-02-20T23:48:29","slug":"winning-not-a-top-5-priority-among-fans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/583785\/","title":{"rendered":"winning not a top-5 priority among fans"},"content":{"rendered":"

A funny thing happened last year in Anaheim. The Angels, owners of the longest active postseason drought in Major League Baseball, drew 2,615,506 spectators to Angel Stadium \u2014 13th in MLB,<\/a> according to figures provided by the team. <\/p>\n

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That figure is impressive enough on the surface. It\u2019s also virtually unchanged in four full seasons since the pandemic, despite the Angels losing an average of 92 games per season from 2022-25.<\/p>\n

One year after losing a franchise-record 99 games in 2024, the Angels saw their attendance rise by an average of 468 per game \u2014\u00a0only to finish with a 72-90 record and miss the playoffs for the 11th consecutive season.<\/p>\n

Longtime fans, of course, would love to see the longest stretch of futility in franchise history end. Owner Arte Moreno said he would love to win, too, during his annual spring training media session<\/a> at the team\u2019s Tempe, Ariz. facility.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor me, I\u2019ve always wanted to win. It\u2019s just what\u2019s the cost of winning right now?\u201d Moreno told reporters (including Jeff Fletcher of the Southern California News Group<\/a>).<\/p>\n

The Angels, like many teams, have reduced their player payroll amid declining television revenues. Their projected 26-man Opening Day payroll sits at $174.9 million, down from $203.6 million a year ago.<\/p>\n

Moreno is still deciding how the team will produce its game broadcasts in 2026 after severing ties<\/a> with Main Street Sports Group. The parent company of the FanDuel-branded regional sports networks recently lost its remaining nine MLB team partners a year after it emerged from bankruptcy.<\/p>\n

In the meantime, Moreno must allocate the revenues he can count on. And winning, he said, is not most fans\u2019 top priority.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe number one thing fans want is affordability,\u201d Moreno said, via Fletcher<\/a>. \u201cThey want affordability. They want safety, and they want a good experience when they come to the ballpark. Believe it or not, winning is not in their top five.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe moms want to be able to afford to bring the kids. Moms make about 80% of the decisions. They want to be able to bring their kids and be affordable and they want safety and they want to have a good experience, so they get all the entertainment stuff or whatever. The purists, you know, it\u2019s just straight winning.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2014 Enjoy free coverage of the top news & trending stories on The Big Lead <\/a>\u2014<\/p>\n

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