How Much Will It Cost To Attend An MLB Game In 2023?

More than 100 years since its release, “Take Me Out To The Ballgame” remains as timeless a classic as many holiday favorites or any of the most popular releases of the last 50 years.

Going to baseball games, MLB games in particular is a right of passage in America and a great way to spend a summer’s day (or night).

But it’s not particularly cheap to do so. The cost of going to an MLB game has risen, just like any other sports league or entertainment option out there.

Like other pro sports leagues, tier pricing has become a trend in MLB.

Why charge the same price when the New York Yankees and Kansas City Royals come to town when you can double the price for Yankees games?

Yet, a family of four can get to an MLB game for a fraction of the cost of going to an NFL game.

Bookies.com has calculated the cost of attending MLB games at each of the 30 stadiums ahead of the 2023 season. On average, across all 30 teams, families will spend $149.03 on four of the cheapest available tickets, a parking spot, two beers, two sodas, and four hot dogs. All things equal, the value of going to an MLB game is far better than going to an NBA game ($288.38 per game) and way, way better than the NFL’s average cost of $536.77 per game.

The cost between the priciest market and the cheapest, however, is massive.

By a wide margin, Boston ($235.41) and Los Angeles ($229.70) will cost you more. No games are pricier than Red Sox games, which ranked No. 2 in priciest tickets but also No. 1 in the highest parking cost and the price of a couple of beers.

Dodgers games come in a close second, led by the most expensive tickets and, disappointingly, the costliest hot dogs.

Meanwhile, you could go to an entire three-game series in Miami for the cost of one game in Boston or LA. A family of four can do an entire single-game Miami Marlins experience for $73.50. That’s pretty good.

Cheapest Available MLB Ticket

Tickets, of course, make up the vast bulk of the cost of attending an MLB game. With 81 games to choose from and 40,000 or more seats in the house, getting tickets to most baseball games isn’t nearly as difficult as NBA or NFL games. Thus, the average pricing is far more affordable for those on a budget.

Bookies.com took the cheapest available tickets (4) for home games for the 15th of each month, or the nearest available date, and averaged them out to create an average cost over the season. Bookies only went through official sources and avoided the secondary market (MLB team sites and SeatGeek, the ticketing partner of many MLB teams, were the two websites used for this study). Tickets used in our formula were for those available as of March 7, 2023.

We also eliminated rivalry games and games that involved the Yankees or Dodgers from the equation – MLB teams dramatically increased standard pricing for the most marquee matchups. We also avoided ultra-cheap seats that offer obstructed seating or limited availability.

The Dodgers had, by far, the most expensive available tickets. Getting in the door costs nearly $40 per person or $160 per family of four. The Red Sox ($33.20 per ticket) and Astros ($28.80) filled out the top three.

By contrast, Marlins tickets could regularly be had at face value for a measly $7. The Twins and, perhaps surprisingly, the Angels each averaged $11.20 for upper-deck options. Every other team ranked between $20 and $28.60 for cheap seats.

MLB Lot Parking

Many MLB stadiums embrace the tailgating atmosphere and thus have massive lots that offer close parking at a modest price. Stadiums located more in the city often have ample lots at various price points. Those in neighborhoods offer no choice but to get gouged.

Much of the appeal of Fenway Park in Boston and Wrigley Field in Chicago is the historic, close-knit feel of the stadiums in their respective communities. It should not be surprising, then, that those two locales were by far the most expensive to park a car, at $45 and $35 on average, respectively.

We only considered parking options that were a 10-minute walk or less from the stadium (roughly a half-mile). Six teams consistently have spots available for just $10: Going to games in Cleveland, Cincinnati, Atlanta, Phoenix, Seattle, or Anaheim proved cheap to park.

Beer/Soda At MLB Stadiums

We took beer prices and converted them all to 16-ounce size. Yet the cost still varies wildly for a couple of pops. You’re paying over $11 for a 16-ouncer in Boston, solidly the highest price in MLB.

Oddly, Celtics games charged the most for beer among NBA teams this season, as well. With the launch of Massachusetts betting apps, at least those in Boston will be able to finally bet legally on games from March 10 onward.

The same beer will cost you just about half the price in St. Louis, Tampa Bay, Detroit, San Diego, Atlanta, Seattle, L.A. (Angels), and Miami, and less than half in Arizona and Colorado.

Soda is much less volatile in terms of price but still has a considerable range. Home games for the Twins, Orioles, Marlins, Royals, Mariners, Diamondbacks, and Yankees offered soda for well under the average, and more than half what the likes of the Dodgers, Giants, Cardinals, Rangers, Padres, and Reds charged.

Hot Dogs

The Arizona Diamondbacks still have $2 dogs, while the Marlins and Phillies have them priced at $3. That’s a cheap meal for the family.

In other places, not so much. Hot dogs at Nationals games are 400% more expensive than at Twins games. The Mets charge $7, while it’s up to $27 for four dogs at Dodgers, Giants, Brewers, Padres, and Mariners games.