The Toronto Blue Jays have won the American League East title for the first time in 10 years, capping off a record-breaking season on Sunday with a 13-4 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays.
Toronto is now set to play in the American League Division Series starting at home on Oct. 4, facing off against the winner of the Wild Card Series, either the Boston Red Sox or New York Yankees.
And although tickets for Game 1, Game 2, and Game 5 of the ALDS at Rogers Centre sold out in less than two hours after they went on sale last Thursday, fans can still grab a ticket on the resale market—for a price.
At time of the writing, the cheapest single ticket fans can buy to Game 1 on Ticketmaster is $323 (including taxes and fees) and is high up in Section 512 looking out onto right field.
Fans can get a slightly better view for the same game on StubHub.ca with a seat about halfway up Section 518 but it will cost you at least $430, including fees.
Alternatively, a resale ticket on SeatGeek.ca for Game 1 in Section 538 is going for $264.
Tickets for Game 2 and Game 5 (if necessary), are also up for grabs on the secondary market, with the cheapest passes in the nosebleeds listed on Ticketmaster for $283 and $358, respectively.
The earliest the Jays (and fans) will know which team they’re facing in the ALDS is Wednesday.
How will the Jays use their days off?
The Jays will now get a well-deserved break before they face the winner of the Wild Card Series, and that’s good news for Bo Bichette, who’s still on the injured list with a left knee sprain.
“I think Bo Bichette is the most important because of what he could mean for Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Give Vlad a little bit more protection,” TSN’s Matt Cauz told CP24 Monday.
“Let’s face it, Vlad, for his standards, didn’t have a great year. He only has a couple homeruns in his last 31 games. So, Bo coming back, hopefully that could help Vlad maybe find his power a little bit more.”
It’s unclear when Bichette, who was batting .311 before he was injured, will return to the lineup.
Cauz said the break will also be good for pitcher Chris Bassitt, who is also on the injured list, and catcher Alejandro Kirk, who played in 130 games this season.
Yankees or Red Sox?
The best-of-three Wild Card Series will determine who the Jays face, but who would be an easier opponent?
“I would rather face the Yankees,” Cauz said, noting that even though the Yankees were “red hot” down the final stretch of their season, their defence can be “sloppy.”
“We saw the Yankees even this year, still sloppy baseball, bad defence, and it hurt them in the playoffs last year and in the World Series against the (Los Angeles) Dodgers. It’s crazy me to say this, but I’d rather play the Yankees.”
The Blue Jays were 8-5 against the Yankees this season, which gave them the tiebreaker to clinch the AL East, despite having the same record (94-68).
Did you miss out on tickets when they first went on sale last week? Are you considering buying costly tickets on the resale market? How much are you willing to spend to cheer the Jays on at the Rogers Centre during this upcoming playoff run?
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