Baseball in Chicago is as exciting as it ever has been in recent memory. The White Sox are in a current rebuild, having gained numerous elite prospects, while the Cubs are reigning World Series Champions. While the White Sox are going to be pretty bad this season, it will still be exciting to see the progression of their prospects as they get called up throughout the season. That is why one thing really stands out when it comes to Cubs/White Sox comparisons.
Ticket prices.
With the 2017 MLB season just one week away, fans are getting more and more excited to see their respective club play at the ballpark. The Cubs average ticket price on the secondary marke tops the league, at $150. The White Sox on the other hand, will average the lowest ticket price in the league at just $30.
Dark Days Of The Rebuild
White Sox tickets have always been cheap, everyone knows that. Whenever I want to go to a game I just buy the cheapest ticket at the box office and walk down to sit on the first base line or first row in right field because no one ever goes to the games. However, once the White Sox committed to the rebuild by trading away Chris Sale and Adam Eaton, I expected ticket prices to actually slightly rise. Fans want to be entertained, and seeing elite prospects such as Yoan Moncada, Reynaldo Lopez and Lucas Giolito get called up, should do just that.
What is especially surprising is that the average ticket to see the White Sox in 2006, the year after they won the World Series, was just $26! The White Sox have always been the second team in the Second City, and probably always will be, and the ticket prices are just another reminder of that.
Winning Has Its Perks
The Cubs on the other hand, are a completely different story. In 2017, according to Forbes, the North Side own the most expensive ticket on the secondary market. For comparison, the average price, face value, to see the Cubs at Wrigley in 2015 was just $44 and $50 last year. With the Cubs fresh off their first World Series title in over 100 years, the fan base has never been more active. Pair that in with the new field renovations, and an All-Star lineup, and the cash has been flowing in like a waterfall. The Cubs can afford to have the most expensive ticket in baseball because the fans have never wanted to see them play more than they do right now. The increase in ticket pricing is expected, but with the Cubs being the new face of the MLB, Wrigleyville surely does not mind.
Get The Show On The Road
The Cubs and White Sox are currently polar opposites, but both are going to be exciting to watch. Fans can get great seats to witness the White Sox rebuild in person for $7 at the cheapest. Cubs fans will have to ante up a little more to see their team play, but with them having just won the World Series, that is the least of their worries.
Baseball is almost upon us ladies and gentlemen. As the Cubs say, "Let's Go."
