Ticket prices surge with Red Sox, Cubs return to MLB postseason

State of play: The wild card round of the MLB playoffs begins Tuesday.

• The Cleveland Guardians host the Detroit Tigers, and the New York Yankees host the Red Sox in the American League.
• The Cubs host the San Diego Padres, and the Los Angeles Dodgers host the Cincinnati Reds in the National League.

By the numbers: SeatGeek reports the average resale ticket this postseason is $200.

• Attending a game during the American League Wild Card series ($222) will cost slightly more on average than the National League's series ($198).

Stunning stat: The average price of tickets is up 46% YoY for the AL Wild Card round and down 6% YoY for the NL's first round.

Context: SeatGeek says the surge in demand in the AL series is likely driven by Boston's first postseason appearance since 2021, combined with the historic Red Sox–Yankees rivalry.

Fun fact: The cheapest and most expensive ticket prices on average for the entire opening round are for games on the same day.

• Wednesday's matchup between the Cubs and Padres costs $330 on average.
• The Dodgers host the Reds later that evening, and the average ticket costs $150.

The Cubs are making their first postseason appearance since 2020.