Tickets for the Dodgers 2024 World Series are sold out despite high prices

On Wednesday around 1 p.m., the Dodgers emailed World Series tickets for a possible series against the Cleveland Guardians or the likely representative (It's amazing how fast life comes at you sometimes) The New York Yankees went on sale at 10 a.m. Thursday.

That afternoon, the Los Angeles Times reported that tickets for all four games were largely sold out.

The lowest prices for upper deck tickets, which came directly from the team, were around $900. The team is currently connecting to the secondary market through SeatGeek. The current lowest price for a Game 1 ticket is just over $1,000 and is located in the upper deck by the foul poles. Three years ago, the same tickets for a potential World Series game cost about half as much.

Normally I would never recommend sitting here, but sometimes beggars can't make decisions.

These ticket prices are dynamic and the main inflationary forces currently impacting ticket prices are the Dodgers' first Fall Classic appearance since the COVID pandemic and the impending collision course between the Yankees and Dodgers.

The Dodgers and Yankees haven't faced each other in the World Series since the strike-shortened 1981, 43 years ago. The Dodgers won in 6 and Ron Cey, Pedro Guerrero and Steve Yeager with the trio of most valuable players.

While prices would likely drop somewhat if the Guardians win, MLB is responsible for setting playoff ticket prices, among other factors such as game management, staging the games and paying rent to the home team for use of the stadium.

Out of curiosity, I checked to see if the Yankees or Guardians had put their World Series tickets on sale. The Yankees have it and they're sold out. Prices available through Ticketmaster ranged from $1,100 to $1,750, and as usual, the Yankees are blocking the sale of tickets to residents of New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Pennsylvania.

The Guardians have not yet put their tickets on sale. I believe that these Guardians tickets would only go on sale if the Guardians advance.

Pay the piper

Admittedly, purchasing playoff and World Series tickets is a very different endeavor than purchasing regular season tickets, even premium tickets. There's a legitimate argument for MLB banning its regular fans from attending the sport's biggest games.

No one should have to pay rent to sit on the upper deck any Game. I realize that ticket prices are like real estate: everything depends on location, location, location.

I understand that it should cost more to sit in the box at Dodger Stadium than on the upper deck. But should that cost the same as a small used car (around $2,500 to $3,000 based on current secondary market offerings)?

As I described in my amateur adventures, before I joined the team here, I had World Series tickets for a possible Game 6 and 7 for about 24 hours. Both tickets combined cost about $1,200 and these seats were in the upper deck with no rhyme or reason to the location as I felt connected to the 2021 team because of all the games and cities I visited, with all of them Warts and everything that went with it.

Michael Elizondo/True Blue LA

For comparison, I spent about $800 to sit on the Green Monster in Boston for the series finale where Mookie Betts returned to Beantown for the first time. Ironically, as I recall, seats in this section went up to $1,300 per ticket. This seat was by far the most I have ever paid for in the regular season.

I have often criticized the “Dodger Tax” I have to pay when I visit the Dodgers on the road. The truth is, unless I'm willing to forego a decent view of the game entirely, it's often much cheaper for me to see the Dodgers somewhere else than in the confines of Our Blue Heaven.

It's okay to pay for a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

But no one should have to go into debt to enjoy something they love. By the way: If a team is eliminated before the scheduled game, the team will refund the purchase price within 1-2 weeks.

With that in mind, for the sake of everyone's sanity, I have refrained from purchasing tickets to the upcoming World Series at Dodger Stadium, even though elimination was not possible on Friday night. If the Dodgers advance, I'll revisit the topic.

To me, any postseason shenanigans depend entirely on the Dodgers getting there and getting the job done – preferably today in Queens.

If you think about it, the Dodgers are just a stone's throw away from their first World Series since the 2020 COVID Cup. But you can't see life that way. The Dodgers are in full control of the NLCS and have Jack Flaherty as the starter for what will hopefully be their final game in Queens in 2024.

If both league championship series end in five games, the Fall Classic will be moved from Friday, Oct. 25 to Tuesday, Oct. 22, a first for MLB.

We will provide updates as necessary depending on which teams advance to this year's Fall Classic.