The Toronto Blue Jays mean business, and according to preliminary secondary market ticket prices, business will be good in 2015.
After a notable winter that inked potential franchise cornerstone players Russell Martin and Josh Donaldson, the Blue Jays have raised eyebrows in a seemingly competitive American League East division. The defending division champion Baltimore Orioles will now have a target on their backs courtesy of their neighbors to the north. Don’t count out the Boston Red Sox, either, who made waves signing Pablo Sandoval, Hanley Ramirez and workhorse righty Rick Porcello over the offseason.
With the New York Yankees set to enter a season bogged down by Alex Rodriguez and uncertainty, the Blue Jays are primed to take a stab at the East’s crown. Secondary market ticket prices certainly indicate that as well, with Blue Jays tickets on TiqIQ currently having a season average of $96.06. That marks a price jump of 27% over last season’s average of $75.51.
Of course, Martin and Donaldson are significant improvements on a Blue Jays team that won 83 games in 2014, but the team’s starting pitching rotation will be its Achilles heel this season. Both R.A. Dickey and Mark Buehrle are well into the twilight of their respective careers and will be expected to start every fifth day, a role they’ve become accustomed to on a staff dominated by young, inexperienced arms. Marcus Stroman, Drew Hutchinson and Daniel Norris have compiled a cumulative record of 27-22 in the Majors and have yet to earn their stripes as dominant starters. 2015 will be an important year for all three.
Toronto’s home opener at Rogers Centre will come on April 13 against the Tampa Bay Rays. Blue Jays Opening Day tickets against the Rays currently have an average price of $173.22 and a get-in price of $27. The next day, the average price drops to just $63.43 with a get-in price of $7. In the four game series, only the finale will also have an average price over $65, at $65.07.
Opening Day is currently the most expensive game for Toronto, but the Blue Jays will play their next most expensive games of the season against the divisional rival Red Sox from June 29-July 2. The average price for Blue Jays vs Red Sox tickets on July 1 is $121.22 on the secondary market, 26.1% above the season average, with get-in price starting at $19. The following day, tickets have a $117.64 secondary market average and the game’s cheapest seat is listed at $16. On June 30, the average price for tickets is $109.32 on the secondary market and get-in price is $14.
An early-season game against the Orioles will serve as the Blue Jays’ least expensive game in 2015. On April 21, they’ll host Baltimore and the secondary market average for the game is just $59.21. That will be 38.3% below season average, and the get-in price starts at $7.
Hope springs eternal in Toronto as the Blue Jays look to make their first postseason appearance since 1993’s World Series run. With Martin and Donaldson now onboard, the franchise’s playoff drought may soon be quenched, though the Orioles and Red Sox will likely have something to say about that.
