NL West Tickets 2014 Season Preview

It’s always baseball weather on the west coast. The combined live game experience of all stadiums in the National League West could be the best in the league. Between the beautiful stadium of San Francisco’s AT&T Park and the history of Dodger Stadium, it’s hard to find a better collection of stadiums in one division. Add in the average price for games on the secondary market for each of the division’s teams and the NL West becomes the best bargain for MLB tickets as well. Four of the five teams in the division have a season average price below $70.

• San Francisco Giants Tickets - Season Avg: $115.83

The Giants followed up winning the World Series in 2012 by falling below .500 last season. San Francisco locked up Hunter Pence and signed Michael Morse in the outfield and brought in Tim Hudson to sure up the backend of what could be one of the top pitching rotations in the National League. Hudson had surgery to repair the ankle he fractured last season, but he is scheduled to be ready for the start of the season. The six most expensive San Francisco Giants tickets at AT&T Park this season, by average price, are against the Los Angeles Dodgers, spread between two series in July and September. San Francisco’s top games not against an NL West opponent are during the July series against Bay Area neighbors, the Oakland A’s.

• San Diego Padres Tickets - Season Avg: $69.94

San Diego could be a surprise team to exceed expectations this season and San Diego Padres tickets surprisingly have the second highest home average for 2014. The weather in San Diego especially makes any day a perfect one to visit the ballpark in the summer. The vast space in Petco Park could be the perfect match for the pitching rotation set up with the additions of Ian Kennedy at the trade deadline last year and Josh Johnson as a free agent this offseason. Games against the Dodgers and Giants in San Diego are 13 of the 15 highest priced home games at Petco this season. With the addition of the second Wild Card, this season could be the best chance to make the playoffs for the first time since 2006.

• Los Angeles Dodgers Tickets - Season Avg: $68.59

Even as the Dodgers became the hottest team in baseball during the second half of last season, ticket prices remained relatively cheap at Dodger Stadium. When comparing the level of play on the field to ticket prices, Los Angeles Dodgers tickets represent the best deal in Major League Baseball. Only three games in Los Angeles this season, Opening Day against San Francisco, September 28 against Colorado and June 28 against the Cardinals, have an average price above $100. On the other side, six games have an average price below $30 this season. For a team with the potential to win 100 and having a player like Clayton Kershaw every five days, there’s no better deal than a Dodgers game.

• Arizona Diamondbacks Tickets - Season Avg: $68.41

Arizona’s average price is just cents below the Dodgers in LA. Ticket prices aren’t the only place where the Diamondbacks are trying to catch the Dodgers. With offseason moves like trading for Mark Trumbo and signing Bronson Arroyo, Arizona will hope they can avoid finishing 81-81 for the third season in a row. No Arizona Diamondbacks tickets at Chase Field this season have an average price exceeding $100. Opening Day tickets against the Giants have an average price of just $82.89 with a get-in price of $11. The most expensive game of the season on September 26 against the Cardinals has just a $93.09 average price.

• Colorado Rockies Tickets - Season Avg: $60.13

Out in Denver, the Rockies have the cheapest tickets in the division. Colorado finished with the worst record in the NL West last season, making them the first match between last year’s standings and this season’s pricing average. Four games at Coors Field have an average price above $100 and those games will likely be the most popular Colorado Rockies tickets this season. Two of those games, July 3 and 4 against the Dodgers, feature postgame fireworks. August 17’s game against the Cincinnati Reds has an average price of $107.82 and could be the most in demand ticket of 2014. During that game, the Rockies will hold a retirement ceremony for former first baseman Todd Helton. Helton will become the first player in franchise history to have his number retired.

This year the NL West will feature a World Series favorite and three other teams with playoff potential. With the relatively low average prices for four of the five teams, fans out west will have a season worth of great deals to get out to the ballpark.