It’s hard to believe but the 2016 Major League Baseball season is already a month old, and as usual, it has featured no shortage of surprises and shocking developments thus far. For instance, what has happened to the once rapidly-emerging Houston Astros? After their breakthrough campaign a year ago, many had them going even further this season, but instead, they’ve sputtered out of the gate and currently sit in the cellar in the AL West. The same can be asked of the New York Yankees, who are also in the basement of their division.
On the other end of the spectrum, the Philadelphia Phillies, many people’s pick to finish with the worst record in the NL, have been a huge surprise, being a handful of games over .500 thanks to some real stout starting pitching. In the AL, the Chicago White Sox have been making early noise, jumping out in front of the rest of the pack while currently owning the league’s best record. Can it hold up?
That’s the beauty of baseball, as anything can still happen and any team can still put together a major run throughout the coming months. Perhaps one such club will begin their run in the immediate days ahead, so let’s take a look at the most expensive tickets for the first week in May, with information provided by TiqIQ:
5/7/16 | Nationals @ Cubs | Wrigley Field | Avg. ticket price: $144.80 | Get-in: $45
5/8/16 | Nationals @ Cubs | Wrigley Field | Avg. ticket price: $132.59 | Get-in: $36
The most expensive action of the week, unsurprisingly, can be seen at Wrigley Field, home of baseball’s best team through the first month of play. The Cubs have been scorching out of the gate, looking like a team that can potentially end the franchise’s 100-plus-year World Series Championship drought.
This series will be a good test for them, as the Nationals aren’t ranked that far behind in the standings. In fact, the Nats could possibly be their biggest competition for this season’s National League pennant. Led by Bryce Harper, Washington is doing its best to hold off the just-as-hot New York Mets. Those who will be in Chicago to see arguably the two best teams in the NL square off can craft the perfect May baseball getaway by booking affordable hotel rooms in Chicago through Hipmunk.com, starting from $99.
5/8/16 Rockies @ Giants AT&T Park | Avg. ticket price: $142.51 | Get-in: $46
The Giants are out to a fine start in 2016, keeping the promise alive surrounding their “even year” magic that has seen them win the World Series in each of the prior three even years (’10, ’12, ’14). In turn, tickets to San Francisco Giants games have responded well on the secondary market, as they are regularly amongst the most sought after teams. With Buster Posey leading the way, they should continue to be a force.
Their division rival, the Rockies, aren’t as popular a favorite when it comes to seeking out MLB tickets, but they’ve been surprisingly okay in the early going, hovering around the rest of the NL West residents with one of the game’s best lineups, which includes arguably the most complete player in baseball, Nolan Arenado. This should be an interesting first weekend series in May for both clubs.
5/7/16 | Red Sox @ Yankees | Yankee Stadium | Avg. ticket price: $135.55 | Get-in: $35
5/6/16 | Red Sox @ Yankees | Yankee Stadium | Avg. ticket price: $121.14 | Get-in: $26
As mentioned already, the Yankees have been one of baseball’s biggest disappointments in the early going, and perhaps most surprising of all it’s been because of their offense, which was one of the top-scoring units only a year ago. This season, however, they had actually scored the fewest runs of all 30 Major League teams entering May.
The Red Sox never have that type of problem, boasting one of the more powerful lineups in the game, and have had a hand in New York’s struggles, as they just swept them at Fenway Park last weekend to close out April. This is arguably the biggest rivalry in the sport, so it’s no surprise to see it rank amongst the priciest for the week, given their history. Fans looking to catch this series, which will be one of the last times David Ortiz faces the Bronx Bombers at Fenway Park, can find cheap Boston airfare on Hipmunk.com.