Best Times to Buy Baseball Tickets

With the baseball season nearly here, we figured now is as good a time as ever to discuss the best times to buy baseball tickets.  And, luckily for both you and I, with 162 regular season games, there are ample opportunities to both purchase and watch your favorite team live and at your local baseball stadium.

Unlike the NBA, with a mere 82 game regular season, and the NFL, with just 18 regular season games, the MLB is played over a 6-month period with 162 games.  With games occurring quite frequently, both die-hard fans and casual ones alike have more than enough chances to catch their favorite team play live.

Similarly, baseball stadiums are quite large.  With the Oakland Athletics stadium, the RingCentral Coliseum reportedly able to house 56,782 fans and other, smaller venues able to house nearly 40,000 fans, you’ll have more than enough space to attend the game and to do so in an affordable manner.

Reasons Why You Should go to an MLB Game

With the MLB season right around the corner, you may not only be wondering just when the best times to buy baseball tickets are but also just why should you go to a game at the stadium.  And while, of course, the choice to attend a gam live and in-person is a personal choice, there are a plethora of reasons to do so.

• MLB Games Are Exciting – the excitement and energy at an MLB game is really unmatched.  With throngs of likeminded fans, you are able to enjoy every moment in person and enjoy the euphoria of the crowd when a big play occurs.

• Baseball is a Great Bonding Experience – whether you are going to the game with family, friends, or loved-ones, the experiences you gain will last a lifetime.  From the drive over to the stadium, to simply finding your seats, to discussing the intricacies of the game, you’ll find yourself bonding with those with you.

• You’ll Cement a Lifelong Love of the Game in Your Kids – in addition to the bonding experience, taking your kids to the local game will help them to form a lifelong love of both the game and the local team.  If you are a diehard fan, then taking your kids to the game will help them to learn to both appreciate and enjoy the game and the local team.

• The Food – from hotdogs to pretzels to slices of pizza, baseball stadiums are famous for their assortment of food items and beverages.  And what better way is there to enjoy the game then with some great food?

• The Memorabilia – unlike in basketball, football, or even soccer, baseball is one of the only sports that allows you the opportunity to catch, and take home, a piece of the game.  Whether it’s a foul ball or a homerun, if the ball comes veering towards you and you are able to catch it, it’s yours to take home and keep forever.

• It’s a Tradition – for many families, attending the local baseball game is a tradition.  Passed down from generation to generation, going to the local baseball stadium helps to cement and further a tradition that your family may have.

• It’s Affordable – unlike NBA, NFL, and MLS games, MLB games are quite affordable and provide you with an opportunity to get out of the house and make new memories and experiences.

Don’t Purchase Advance Sale Tickets

Many MLB teams, to drum up excitement and ticket sales, will hold advance ticket sales.  Don’t purchase those.  Often, with the excitement of the upcoming season, advance ticket sales will be more expensive then purchasing via regular channels.

And with advance ticket sales often adding 20% surcharges, you’re likely better off and able to save on the price of tickets by waiting until the excitement has worn off.  And though you may not be able to attend the home opener game, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to go to other games throughout the season.

Check Third-Party Resellers

Although third-party ticket resellers add their own fees, the tickets are often being sold by individuals.  This means that many of those individuals are looking to offload those tickets and will oftentimes compete on price to ensure they are able to sell those tickets.

Sites such-as StubHub is a great and reputable third-party reseller which allows you to purchase discounted tickets from other fans and enjoy the game.

Wait Until the Last Minute

While you obviously don’t want to wait until the actual last minute to purchase MLB tickets, time is generally on your side when it comes to buying baseball tickets.  And unless a big-name team, player, or record is coming to town, waiting until a day or two before the game is set to start to purchase tickets will likely help you to get them at a steep discount.

The reason for this is that most third-party resellers are selling tickets directly from other fans looking to offload their own tickets.  Again, these resellers are often competing against one-another to offload their tickets and will typically discount the price of the tickets as the game gets closer.

Brave the Elements

Particularly true for colder regions in the country, many people will opt to stay home when the weather is colder and drearier.  And while warmer weather games are tons of fun, so too are colder weathered ones.  And with many fans opting to stay home, you’ll have an opportunity to purchase tickets at a discounted rate.

If you are going to a colder weathered game, be sure to dress appropriately.  As you will likely be at the stadium for multiple hours in the cold, you should wear multiple layers and ensure that your hands, feet, face, and head are all properly covered.

Avoid Certain Games

As with many things in life, the laws of supply and demand are constantly in play.  And baseball is no different.  If a big-name team or player is coming to town, it may simply be better to avoid the game.  Ticket prices typically spike for such games as the demand for tickets also rises.

Consider Purchasing Season Tickets

While season ticket prices can climb into the thousands of dollars, you’ll be afforded the opportunity to attend any home game as you’d like.  And for games that you may not be interested in, or simply unable to attend, you can attempt to resell them on third-party platforms.

But the real money for season ticket holders comes in the playoffs.  If your team is able to qualify for the playoffs, and make it to the World Series, you will be able to resell, and recoup, the original cost of the tickets.  Of course, doing so can be risky, but you’ll still be able to attend the games at your liking.