Yankees Ticket Prices Soar As Fans Hope To See Aaron Judge Set Home Run Record

Topline

Yankee Stadium tickets have jumped to an average of $252 for the remaining seven home games of the regular season, as fans try to catch a chance to see Aaron Judge tie—and possibly break—Roger Maris’ American League single-season home run record.

Yankees home tickets have skyrocketed as fans try to see Aaron Judge tie Roger Maris’ single-season … [+] home run record.

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Key Facts

The average list price on the secondary market for Yankees’ home games has topped $250, up 121% from August 29, when Judge hit his 50th home run of the season, according to data from sales platform TicketiQ seen by Forbes.

Tickets are most expensive for games against the division-rival Boston Red Sox this weekend, with the average secondary market list price reaching $382 for Saturday’s game, followed by Friday’s game ($299), Sunday’s game ($287) and the game on Thursday ($278), while ticket prices are lower for the final three games against the Baltimore Orioles.

The priciest ticket to Saturday’s game on VividSeats costs a whopping $2,358, while StubHub lists dozens of tickets priced above $1,000.

Since August 29, prices for the cheapest available field-level seats in left field for one of the Yankees’ remaining games have skyrocketed 281% to roughly $280, while the cheapest seats in the same sections in right field have increased 278% to $275, and bleacher tickets jumped 185% to nearly $200.

Judge is sitting on a career-best 60 home runs this year, tied with Babe Ruth for the second-most in a single season, which Ruth hit in 1927, and one away from Maris’ record of 61, which he accomplished in 1961—both reached those milestones playing for the Yankees.

Surprising Fact

Baseball analysts estimate Judge’s 61st and 62nd home run ball could be appraised at $20 million, The Athletic reported—the fan who caught Judge’s 60th home run returned it to the team for a signed bat and other baseballs. The MLB also took the step of authenticating baseballs Judge will swing at, starting with his 60th, with a stenciled mark as well as an invisible marking that requires special technology to see, the New York Times reported.

Tangent

Although 62 home runs would be a record in the American League, it would place Judge seventh on the all-time list when including National League statistics, according to Baseball Reference, although baseball purists argue the three players who hit more (Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa) did so with the help of performance-enhancing drugs. Bonds, McGwire and Sosa all tested positive for the drugs, and McGwire has admitted to using them—Sosa denies ever having used them and Bonds admitted to using “cream” and “clear” substances, but alleges he did not know they contained steroids.

Key Background

Judge was named rookie of the year in 2017, when he launched an astounding 52 home runs, an American league rookie record. This year, he is batting .317 with 128 RBIs and 60 home runs, putting him first in all three categories and making him a front-runner for the MLB’s coveted triple crown award. He has 218 career home runs, the 23rd most of all active players, according to Baseball Reference, and he’s the third-youngest of those 23, behind Bryce Harper and Manny Machado.

Big Number

$19 million. That’s how much the Yankees are paying Judge this season, according to Spotrac. The Yankees’ right fielder becomes a free agent at the end of the season, and baseball analysts expect him to receive astronomical offers from teams across the MLB. Earlier this year, the New York Post reported Judge rejected a seven-year, $213.5 million contract extension with New York, countering with $36 million per year for nine to 10 years ($324 million-$360 million).