Price hike threatens Padres' affordability

Petco Park's status as one of the more affordable ballparks in the MLB is in danger.

Driving the news: The Padres are raising ticket prices next year, for the third consecutive season, the team's CEO Erik Greupner announced in a weekend letter to season ticket holders.

• The move will hike prices by an average of 9% for next year, a team spokesperson told the Union-Tribune — following increases of 18% last year and 20% the year prior.

What it means: The relative affordability of a night out at one of baseball's best ballparks is now threatened by the run of price increases, and coincides with the Padres investing in the team to the point that they now have the league's third highest payroll.

• News of a yet another price hike hits fans amid a disappointing season, with the Padres in fourth place in the NL West and four games out of the last playoff spot, despite starting the year with World Series ambitions.

What they're saying: "We have continued to increase payroll and make significant investments to improve your experience at America's #1 ballpark," Greupner wrote. "As a result of our continued investment and the unprecedented demand for Padres tickets, all members will see a moderate price increase for the 2024 season."

By the numbers: A night out at Petco Park for a family of four had been below the MLB average as of the 2022 season.

• Four average-priced tickets, parking, two hats, two beers, four sodas and four hot dogs ran for $238 at Petco Park in 2022.
• That put the Padres at 17 among the 30 teams for the cost of attending a game, and below the MLB average of $256 for all the swag.
• Padres tickets are the second most expensive in the league on the secondary market, according to TicketIQ, a secondary ticket marketplace.

The bottom line: Petco Park remains among the best baseball experiences in the country — it clocked in as the top park in the league in this year's USA Today's ranking, its second consecutive year atop the list.