MLB ’17: Five Ways to Find Cheap Opening Day Tickets

There are a lot of reasons people love spring, but one of the best is the return of Major League Baseball. Nothing is quite the same as sitting in your favorite ballpark as the weather warms up, especially on Opening Day. The first home game of the year is always special. And if you’re looking for cheap Opening Day tickets, we have five ideas for you to try!

1. Stand Outside the Stadium

You’ll have to invest a bit of time to try to receive a cheap Opening Day baseball ticket using this method, and it’s not a sure thing. But if you like to haggle and the thrill of the chase, this is the way to go.

There’s always tickets for sale outside the stadium from people who have extra tickets. Just hold up the same number of fingers as tickets you need and wait for those with extra tickets to approach you. Stand near a main traffic area where people approach the stadium, maybe from trains, the subway, or buses. (Wear the home team’s gear, too, even if you’re a fan of the opponent; it helps.)

Some people want to sell their extra tickets as quickly as possible, so they don’t miss any of the game, meaning you could receive a bargain on a ticket quickly. And if the weather is cold, it becomes a buyers’ market. More commonly though, you’ll have to have patience. The closer the start of the game, the better chance you’ll have of receiving a cheap ticket. People with extras may look to make some money early on, but by game time, they just want to receive something for the tickets. You may miss the first inning or two, but this is the cheapest way to find a ticket.

2. Look for Singles

If you’re trying to find cheap Opening Day baseball tickets outside the stadium for a set of friends, you’re going to struggle to find three or four tickets all together and still receive a good price. Instead, look for those selling single tickets.

People having one extra ticket is common outside a baseball stadium. Maybe they had one friend back out at the last minute. Whatever the reason, they’re likely going to just try to get rid of the ticket quickly, meaning you should receive a good deal.

With the way many Major League Baseball stadiums are constructed these days, you don’t have to sit in the seat you just purchased and see the game. Just use the ticket to get inside the gate. You and your companions can all buy single tickets and then meet up inside the stadium and walk around for a few innings or find some unused seats in an outdoor bar or restaurant area and still have a great view of the action.

The same reasoning applies to tickets you’ll find on the secondary market. Singles are always cheaper than three or four tickets together, because singles are harder to sell.

3. Secondary Ticket Market

There are plenty of secondary ticket market sites on the Internet, and you’ll find plenty of Opening Day tickets for sale on these sites. StubHub, MLB Ticket Exchange, SeatGeek, Rukkus, Vivid Seats, and CheapTickets are some of the most popular national sites. You may have some popular sites that are local to you too.

Be patient with these sites. Most tickets are expensive until about 24 hours before the game. Then the prices start to drop. The longer you can wait, the better deal you’ll receive. Keep in mind that you may need to stop somewhere and physically pick up the tickets, although most of these sites allow you to print tickets at home or display them on your smartphone screen.

Watch out for fees involved with these sites. Unfortunately, these sites aren’t always up front about the extra costs involved. Some of the fees won’t pop up until you’re on the checkout screen.

Additionally, check Groupon for MLB tickets, as the coupon site does offer deals on tickets from time to time. It’s unlikely you’ll find Opening Day seat deals, but you never know. Other sites to check include eBay and Craigslist.

4. Find a Working Season Ticket Holder

If your favorite team has an afternoon Opening Day game, you may be in luck. Some people who have season tickets will surely have to work that day, meaning their tickets are up for grabs. If you know a few people who have season tickets, casually mention to them that if they ever can’t make it to a game, you’d be interested in their tickets. Then casually mention that you noticed Opening Day is an afternoon start time. (Hopefully subtlety is your strong suit.)

To sweeten the deal, offer to give back to the season ticket holder any special giveaway items you receive. You may get lucky and receive a ticket for free!

5. Turn to Social Media

Follow entities involved with your favorite team on social media. The team’s flagship radio and television stations may give away tickets in contests throughout the days leading up to Opening Day. The team itself may offer some ticket specials that they announce on social media. Business partners of the team also may have tickets to give away.

Finally, mention on your social media feeds that you’re looking for Opening Day tickets on the cheap. You might be surprised which friend of a friend of a friend comes through for you!

Nobody Bats 1.000

If you use the tips listed here, we can’t guarantee that you’ll receive Opening Day tickets. If you’re trying to find cheap Opening Day baseball tickets, you may strike out.

There’s always tickets for sale somewhere, but if demand is high, it’s a sellers’ market and the cheap tickets won’t be there. So if you want to go to Opening Day more than you want to save money, just be prepared to pay face value or higher, and you’ll have little problem finding a seat.

Have some patience and be prepared to wait until the last minute, though, and you may be able to accomplish both goals.

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