Los Angeles Dodgers Opening Day Ticket Prices Explode After Blockbuster Offseason
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The Los Angeles Dodgers asserted themselves as baseball’s must-see team this offseason, and the demand to see them in-person has risen to match that excitement.
As was reported by USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, the average ticket price for the Dodgers’ home opener against the St. Louis Cardinals on March 28 is $533 on Stubhub. Considering Los Angeles will have already showed off its new toys in the Seoul Series a week prior – and the fact that Dodger Stadium has the largest capacity in the league at 56,000 – the idea that the average ticket price has climbed that high is a testament to their undeniable star power.
The Dodgers already had a pair of former MVPs in the lineup in Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman. They then went out and loaded up this winter, signing Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Teoscar Hernandez and James Paxton while trading for Tyler Glasnow.
The front office also decided to retain fan-favorites Clayton Kershaw, Max Muncy and Kiké Hernandez.
Ohtani is surely the largest draw, even though he likely won’t be available to pitch again until 2025. His prowess at the plate, plus his unmatched global popularity, are enough to draw a crowd regardless.
Yamamoto, another Japanese superstar, will be making his MLB debut this week in Korea, but his first real appearance in the States won’t come until the Cardinals series. The three-time reigning Pacific League MVP could draw the start on March 28, or that nod could be given to Glasnow, a longtime ace for the Tampa Bay Rays.
Of course, St. Louis will bring a solid dose of star power themselves. Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado sit at the center of the Cardinals’ lineup, as do All-Star catcher Willson Contreras and up-and-coming slugger Nolan Gorman.
Massive free agent addition Sonny Gray would have likely got the start on the mound, but he suffered a hamstring injury in Spring Training. Veteran Miles Mikolas will draw the start in his place.
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Check out more Los Angeles Dodgers coverage at Sports Illustrated and FanNation's Inside the Dodgers.
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