How to Buy Tickets for a Baseball Game in Toronto

Toronto's sporting fame is mainly due to its ice hockey and basketball teams, but also to baseball. The Blue Jays, who were great entertainers in the World Series in the 1990s, are Canada's only representative team in the MLB, which is considered the best baseball league in the world, and they play their games at the legendary Rogers Centre.

If you plan to visit Toronto from March to September, you can attend a Blue Jays MLB game, although unlike the NBA or NHL, you will have opportunities to see a game almost all year round, as the franchises also play spring training and post-season games, so you will have plenty of opportunities to participate in one of the best things to do in Toronto.

Baseball is one of the most popular sports in Toronto, but since the Blue Jays' schedule of MLB and playoff games is longer than that of NBA and NHL teams, the chances of buying tickets to see a game live will be greater than in other sports.

Getting tickets on the Blue Jays' official website

Like all other organized league sports, baseball franchises, including the Blue Jays, offer full season tickets for sale at the beginning of the season. As team activity begins in February with spring training and ends in November with postseason games, most seats are sold out as early as January, although vacant seats go on sale on the franchise's official website.

Getting tickets on online sales platforms

If you don't get tickets on the Blue Jays' official site or you want different locations, the best alternative to get seats is to resort to online sales platforms, which usually centralize the marketing of all available tickets. There you can find tickets for the different sectors of the Rogers Centre stadium and you can even combine this experience with the best tours of Toronto.

Getting tickets from authorized reseller sites

This is a riskier option and is usually used as a last resort, as it tends to offer more expensive rates and also requires a check of the seller's reputation and the use of a secure purchasing channel. However, it is an ideal alternative for last-minute purchases, for finding seats for a one-off game or to get adjacent seats, which is necessary if you plan to visit Toronto with children or family.

Getting tickets at the stadium box office

In MLB, unlike the NBA and NHL, it's easier to get tickets at the stadium box office before games start, but that doesn't mean it's a convenient option. You will usually have to wait in long lines that will waste your time and you won't get the best seats. In addition, prices tend to go up because of last-minute purchases and because the rates are dynamic.

As with all sports, the price of tickets for games will depend largely on the stadium locations chosen, the opponent the franchise is facing and the level of competition being played, with second round games being priced higher than first round games. However, at the Roger Centre you can find tickets to see the Blue Jays live from 80 euros.

These tickets, which are the cheapest, are available for the sectors farthest from the diamond, the name given to the field of play in baseball. However, in locations closer to the batters the rates can reach 750 euros or even more, especially in the VIP sectors of the Roger Centre.

An alternative to save money and get better seats at the best price is to buy tickets in advance, even within one season for the next, as it is normal that from October onwards Major League Baseball seats for the following year go on sale.

The different types of tickets depend on the location in the stadium. Inside the Roger Centre there are 5 sectors, called Cloud, Star, Hotel, Moon and Sun, with the most expensive tickets belonging to the first sector and the cheapest ones to the last one. However, the organization is complex, since the baseball diamond has a very particular format that generates price jumps in nearby sectors.

The only tickets that include access to the stadium without queues are those belonging to the VIP sector, in all other cases you will have to locate the ticket corresponding to the grandstand and queue. Generally, the peak tourist season coincides with the full occupancy of the Roger Centre, so if you plan to visit Toronto in July or during the summer months, you will have to face the crowds at Blue Jays games.

Keep in mind that it is advisable to be at the stadium at least one hour before the game starts to avoid any inconvenience at the entrance and, above all, to deal with the massive crowds that attend these events, especially during the high season.

As with other stadiums in the city, the Roger Centre is closed to the general public on Blue Jays game days. However, you can find other alternatives to get to know the stadium from the inside, including participating in the guided tour of the stadium, which has an initial cost of approximately 20 euros per person.

This visit will include a tour of the grandstand, the locker rooms and the playing field, as well as a look at the history of this stadium, which is located next to the CN Tower on the shores of Lake Ontario and is famous for having hosted the 1992 and 1993 World Series.

You can also get to know the inside of the stadium during the conventions that are frequently organized at this site or even during a game of the Argonauts, the city's Canadian soccer team. Occasionally, you can also catch an NBA game when the Raptors move their home arena from the Air Canada Centre.

As a general rule, MLB does not offer discounted tickets and game tickets are not included in Toronto CityPASS activities, but you can still follow a few strategies to capture cheap tickets.

Get tickets in upper or side seats

Roger Centre Stadium, with a capacity of more than 40,000, offers a wide variety of seating options, so if you're happy to follow the baseball game in an area away from the diamond, you can find seats in upper or side seats at bargain prices. In addition, you can also opt for tickets in the reduced-view locations, such as the areas near the stadium's columns.

Getting tickets for less demanded matches

If you want to discover the spirit of a baseball game and its enthusiastic crowd and you are not interested in attending a defining game, you can get cheaper tickets if you choose games that pit the Blue Jays against non-direct rivals in the race to qualify for the second round. These lower-demand games often free up cheap seats.

Getting tickets for games during the week

The biggest games are usually played on Saturdays and Sundays, which is when the largest crowds attend, especially if you visit Toronto in the summer. However, if you have time available and can attend weekday games, you'll get better prices at locations close to the diamond.

Getting holiday tickets

Games don't always coincide with holiday dates, but if they coincide with Thanksgiving, Christmas, Labor Day or national holidays, you' ll be able to find better prices, as they usually coincide with a drop in attendance and people tend to opt for out-of-town activities.

MLB franchises, including the Blue Jays, state that children under the age of 3 can enter stadiums for free, as long as they are accompanied by a responsible adult. Beyond that, those over that age do not receive discounts and seats are at a flat rate.

However, some tourism service providers, understanding that attending a baseball game is one of the best activities to do with children in Toronto, offer discounts on family packages, which in addition to better prices usually also include adjoining seats and even, in some cases, food packs.

Some agencies also combine tickets to baseball games with discounts on other popular activities in the city, such as cruises on Lake Ontario, or helicopter flights in the skies over Toronto.

While unlike the Raptors in the NBA and the Maple Leafs in the NHL, it is possible to get tickets at the box office before the games for the Blue Jays and MLB, this is a time-consuming alternative that will force you to get more expensive tickets because they are last-minute bookings.

This is why I advise you to book tickets in advance online, which will save you money and time. This will be ideal if you are planning a short stay in the city and want to make the most of your visit. If that is your case, here is a list of activities you can do to get to know Toronto in 3 days.

Due to the dynamics of the game, baseball games do not have a set duration, although, on average, an MLB game lasts approximately 3 hours. However, this time can vary significantly depending on several factors, such as the number of runs scored, the speed of the game, and the presence of extra innings.

During the course of the game, there are times that contribute to the overall length. Timeouts between innings, when teams change positions, can add several minutes to the clock. In addition, strategic timeouts allow players and coaches to discuss tactics and strategies, extending the overall length of the event.

Fans also enjoy the in-between shows, such as performances between innings, which add a tinge of entertainment to the sports experience. These brief moments often feature contests and musical performances, especially when games take place overnight in Toronto.

The MLB regular season runs from March or April to October, although franchises usually also organize spring training games, which is equivalent to a pre-season, and post-season games. Thus, in Toronto you will be able to see a baseball game from February through November.

If you plan to visit Toronto in July, you can also attend the popular All Star Game, a game that brings together the best players of the year and generates fascination among fans.

The MLB world is governed by its own rules and to thoroughly enjoy the show it is necessary to be familiar with some concepts, so here are some tips that will help you maximize the experience:

• Don't go to a game without understanding the rules of the game! The object of the sport is to score runs by hitting the ball thrown by the opposing team's pitcher and running around the bases in a counterclockwise direction. The defending team seeks to prevent batters from advancing and scoring by making outs through catches, strikeouts or forcing players off the bases. An inning consists of at-bats for both teams, and the game consists of 9 innings. The winner is the team that scores the most runs at the end of the innings.
• Enjoy the baseball atmosphere: Baseball is one of the most popular sports in North America and therefore attracts many fans who bring a special warmth to every game. If you want to soak up the sports spirit, you can contribute to the chants, wear the colors of the franchise and celebrate every inning.
• Take your time to get to the stadium: Baseball games are usually very popular activities, so it may be a bad idea to arrive at the last minute. This will take away your margin for error if you get the wrong gate at a stadium as big as the Roger Centre and could lead to unforgivable delays - no one wants to miss the pregame shows!