The defending World Series champion Philadelphia Phillies are returning to baseball’s Fall Classic next week following their 10-4 blowout Wednesday night of the Los Angeles Dodgers, setting up a chance for the Phillies to repeat as Major League Baseball’s top team.
And already, Phillies tickets on the resale market are starting to escalate, though average prices are a bit below last year.
Games 3, 4 and 5 (if necessary) of the World Series will be played at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, and even before an opponent has been decided, the average ticket selling price on StubHub is $838, and according to published reports some resellers are seeking as much as $12,000 for field-level tickets.
Last year, when the Phillies played the Tampa Bay Rays, the average ticket price for the Philadelphia games was $903, a sign that the current economy might be taking taking a slight toll on ticket prices.
The World Series starts on Wednesday, October 28, and the Phillies opponent will be either the New York Yankees or the Los Angeles Angels. The Yankees lead the American League Championship Series 3-1, and the two teams play tonight in L.A.
Ticket brokers and other resellers are decidedly in favor of one opponent to face the Phillies than the other.
“I hope it’s the Yankees,” New Jersey ticket broker Adam Gartenberg, owner of Boogie’s Tickets, told TicketNews. “We all have a lot of interest in it being New York against Philadelphia.”
Gartenberg said he traditionally does more Yankees business than Phillies business, but because the Phillies have a chance to repeat as champions, he has been field more calls from Phillies fans seeking tickets. Currently, Boogie’s is listing its least expensive ticket at $681 for the first game at Citizens Bank Park, and the most expensive premium ticket at $5,750.
“The question is what will people want to spend?” Gartenberg said. “I could see some people waiting before buying.”
Whether that will be a smart move in this case remains to be seen. If the Yankees are the opponent, as expected, with the games close enough to drive to, prices will likely rise over the days leading up to the first pitch.
“Oh my God, can you imagine the Phillies having a clinching game of the World Series against the Yankees in Philadelphia?” Jeremi Conaway, vice president of Wanamaker Ticket Office, told the Philadelphia Inquirer. Wanamaker’s ticket prices are currently comparable to Boogie’s. “It would definitely be the biggest ticket in Philadelphia sports history.”
