Major League Baseball is facing a new wave of consumer frustration after reports surfaced that tickets stored in the league’s Ballpark app were stolen and resold, leaving fans stranded at stadium gates.
According to The Athletic, fans across multiple teams have discovered their tickets disappearing from the Ballpark app shortly before game time — only to see them reappear for sale on platforms such as StubHub and SeatGeek. MLB confirmed the issue this week, attributing it to “bad actors” using stolen credentials from outside data breaches to access accounts.
“The Ballpark app is operating properly and continues to process tickets for millions of fans who attend MLB games. There is no evidence that this was a breach of the MLB system,” the league said in a statement. Still, MLB acknowledged the problem began around Labor Day and has generated “inundated” call volumes from affected fans.
For fans like longtime Red Sox season ticket holder Nancy Morrisroe, the experience was infuriating. She arrived at Fenway Park to find her tickets gone, only to learn others had already purchased them through resale. “It’s leaving me feeling incredibly vulnerable,” she told The Athletic. Even after changing her password, Morrisroe reported continued issues with the app.
The league has urged users to reset passwords and log back into MLB applications, but critics argue that simple credential resets are insufficient safeguards. Calls for stronger protections such as two-factor authentication have grown louder, especially with the high-value postseason approaching.
The situation has also reignited a broader debate around mobile-only ticketing. By eliminating print-at-home and paper options, leagues and venues have forced every fan into digital systems — regardless of whether their phone batteries hold up, stadium connectivity works, or they even own a modern smartphone. That mandate raises barriers for less tech-savvy or lower-income fans, while also centralizing enormous amounts of personal and location data in league-run platforms. And when systems fail, fans are left with no fallback option.
MLB has celebrated the growth of its Ballpark app, noting that 32 million tickets were scanned through it in 2022 and claiming a 99.5% success rate. But for the unlucky fans caught up in this month’s thefts, the success story rings hollow. With the playoffs looming, the stakes — and ticket prices — are only getting higher.
