Which American League Teams Are Worth the Price of Admission?

When it comes to secondary market ticket for baseball, not every team plays up to their price. Yesterday, we took a look at which National League teams were worth the price of admission, and now we’ll look at the American League. The AL is superior to the NL in both average ticket price and winning percentage. Especially out west, this leaves a lot of good deals to be had to see winning teams.

Expensive, but Winning

• Detroit Tigers
• New York Yankees
• Toronto Blue Jays

What a surprise, the New York Yankees are on the most expensive list. They’re actually the most expensive in the league with Yankees tickets averaging $142.60 over the season. But the Yankees have given their fans reason to be happy. They are only 1.5 games out of first place after the first 71 games on the Yankees schedule, thanks to the recent three-game sweep of the first-place Toronto Blue Jays

The Blue Jays are no cheap ticket either. They are averaging $117.64 this season, despite largely being irrelevant in the AL East. Last season was supposed to be the year they broke through, but injuries derailed any chance they had. Now they are realizing their potential behind an explosive offense.

The final team on this list also averages over $100 a ticket. The Detroit Tigers were a favorite preseason World Series pick. While they currently trail the Kansas City Royals by half a game in the AL Central, they still have the talent in their rotation and lineup to be title contenders in October. They’re averaging $100.58 a ticket this season.

Overpriced and Losing

• Boston Red Sox
• Tampa Bay Rays

The Boston Red Sox are the only team in baseball to have a ticket average over $100 and have a losing record. In fact, they have the second most expensive tickets in the league, less than a dollar behind the Yankees, with an average of $142.17. Granted the team has a winning record in the home games on the Red Sox schedule at 20-19. That’s good for the second best mark in the AL East.

The same can’t be said for the Tampa Bay Rays who have a 16-22 record at home and a 29-45 record overall that is the worst in the entire league. Only three teams have a worse figure than their -48 run differential. Still Rays tickets are the fifth most expensive in the American League at $92.10.

Get What You Pay For

• Chicago White Sox
• Houston Astros
• Minnesota Twins
• Texas Rangers

The Chicago White Sox, Houston Astros, Minnesota Twins and Texas Rangers don’t boast better records, but they all have ticket averages under $90. The Astros have the most expensive ticket with an average of $82.92, but their fans probably have the most reason for optimism. After years of toiling at the bottom of the league, the Astros are finally seeing the products of one of the league’s top farm system.

On the other end of the spectrum, the Rangers might be the most disappointing team. The early part of the Texas Rangers schedule didn’t prop them enough to survive the inordinate amount of injuries they’ve suffered this year. Prince Fielder was expected to help propel them to contention, but he didn’t even last half a season before needing surgery. They are now below .500 and only above the Astros in the AL West. Tickets are averaging $72.83 for the season.

The White Sox and Twins are two teams near the bottom of the AL Central. The White Sox started out hot on offense, but haven’t been able to sustain it. They have some solid bats in the lineup, but nothing enough to make them serious contenders through a 162-game season. The Twins have one of the better farm systems in the league, but don’t have much at the major league level. Their troubles are far from surprising. White Sox tickets are averaging $74.45 and Twins tickets are the cheapest in the American League at $59.64.

Most Bang For Your Buck

• Baltimore Orioles
• Cleveland Indians
• Kansas City Royals
• Los Angeles Angels
• Oakland Athletics
• Seattle Mariners

Luckily for American League fans, a lot of teams fall into this category. This list is comprised of two of the three division leaders, a wild card team, and three more teams less than three games out. Best of all, the Cleveland Indians have the most expensive tickets, and they’re still less than what it costs for an Astros game.

The Oakland Athletics have the best record in baseball at 45-28. More impressive, they have a run differential at +134 that more than doubles the second best figure. That’s because they’ve scored the most runs and given up the least by a wide margin. They’ve scored 19 more runs than the next best team (the Rockies) and have given up 10 less (the Braves). And yet A’s tickets are averaging $68.21 for the season.

The Kansas City Royals have just taken over first place of the AL Central thanks to a series win over the Tigers. The Royals. Are at 39-33 and are the only team in the Central with a positive run differential at +18. Royals tickets are averaging just $66.16 for the season, more than $15 less than division-rival Cleveland. Indians tickets are averaging $81.68 and are currently 2.5 games behind the Royals in the Central.

In the West the Los Angeles Angels and the Seattle Mariners are second and third, but still trail the A’s by six and eight games respectively. The Angels are currently tied with the Yankees for the top wild card spot with a 38-33 record, and Angels tickets are averaging $62.35 for the season. The Mariners are above .500 thanks to a pitching staff that has given up just 14 more runs than the A’s. Ace Felix Hernandez has had a lot to do with that, having arguably the best season of any pitcher this year. Mariners tickets are averaging $64.78 for the season.

The Baltimore Orioles round out the list and sit just 2.5 games behind the Blue Jays in the AL East, and one game out of a wild card spot. The Orioles have been solid if unspectacular in every aspect of the game this season, and have never gotten too far above or below .500. Orioles tickets are averaging $76.71.