By Mike Shackil, Tiq IQ
The AL East standings are pretty much the reverse of what everyone thought they’d be before the season started. The Tampa Bay Rays are safely in the basement as the Toronto Blue Jays lead the division. Even the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees are currently out of a playoff spot, with the Red Sox a far ways away just a season after winning the World Series.
But some things turn out as expected, and the latest installment of the famed Red Sox and Yankees rivalry is looking like a pretty expensive series. Currently the average price of the series is 20 percent over the average ticket price for the remaining home games at Yankee Stadium. That average was already the highest in the league at $144.65, and Yankees tickets for the series are averaging $173.98. For fans who have purchased the Yankees Six-Game Flex Pack, you can add one of these three games to your package.
6/27 BOS Brandon Workman at NYY Vidal Nuno | Avg. Price: $241.09 | Get-in Price: $73
Brandon Workman is making his first start since serving a suspension for throwing at Rays’ third baseman Evan Longoria. Workman has been a solid addition the Red Sox pitching staff since making his major league debut in the bullpen last July, and has likely earned a spot in the rotation after filling in due to injuries. In five starts he has a 3.21 ERA and has gotten better and better as he’s been stretched out. But despite his improvement it’s still shocking to see this as the most expensive game of the series by far, especially with Vidal Nuno starting for the Yankees. In 12 starts Nuno ranks at replacement level with a 5.29 ERA and 1-4 record. The average for the game is $241.09 and the get-in price is $73. To put that get-in price in perspective, half the league has an average season price around $73.
6/28 BOS Jon Lester at NYY Masahiro Tanaka | Avg. Price: $178.77 | Get-in Price: $50
The following game is the true marquee matchup of the series, with aces Jon Lester and Masahiro Tanaka taking the mound for the Red Sox and Yankees, respectively. Both have WARs above 3.0 this season and rank near the top of the league in most statistical categories, and Tanaka is the likely runaway winner with AL Rookie of the Year after coming over from Japan. The game is averaging $178.77 a ticket and has a get-in price of $50.
6/29 BOS John Lackey at NYY Chase Whitley | Avg. Price: $102.08 | Get-in Price: $26
The final game of the series is easily the cheapest. With an average of $102.08 it is the only game below the Yankees season average in the series. Even the get-in price of $26 is pretty reasonable. The pitching isn’t bad either. John Lackey gets the start for the Red Sox, and he has been their best pitcher outside of Lester. For the Yankees, rookie Chase Whitley gets his ninth start, and he has been surprisingly solid for the Yankees. He’s got a great K/BB ratio, and despite a 4.07 ERA, he has a FIP that only trails Tanaka on the team.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.