Politics and prices at play for Jays fans considering trek to Seattle for baseball playoffs

Fans will have to shill out a lot more money than usual if they want to be in the ballpark for this week’s American League Championship series.

Thanks to the support of thousands of Canadians making the trip south from British Columbia, the Toronto Blue Jays usually feel right at home in Seattle’s T-Mobile Park during games in the regular season.

But with the Blue Jays and Mariners competing in the American League Championship Series, with a spot in the World Series on the line, demand for tickets has skyrocketed.

“As soon as they knew that they were going up against Seattle, my phone messages were inundated with people wanting to get tickets for the Jays,” said Vancouver ticket broker Kingsley Bailey.

On Tuesday afternoon, the cheapest ticket for Game 3 in Seattle was advertised for C$266 on the resale site StubHub.

A spot in a suite behind home plate for Friday’s potential Game 5 is listed for more than C$4,000.

Those eye-popping prices, and current political tensions with the United States, could determine the size of the Canadian contingent willing to make the trip.

Mark, a Blue Jays fan who only wished to provide his first name in an interview with CTV News, said the number of people making the trip south is “not as big as it used to be.”

“Like, I’m not going there, period,” he said. “So, I’m not going to see the games.”

Seattle, leading two games to none, can reach its first ever World Series with two more victories.

Erik Lawrence, from Seattle but visiting Vancouver for work, says the historic opportunity the Mariners have will make it difficult for Canadians to fill the stadium.

“I don’t think it’ll happen this time. I think Seattleites will buy up the tickets and not sell to Toronto fans,” he said.

Bailey says demand on the Canadian side has dipped slightly since the Blue Jays lost the first two games.

But if they manage to win either of the next two games, he expects prices to soar for Game 5.

“Seattle hasn’t gone to the playoffs for such a long time. So, there’s such a demand for that. And then you throw that into the fact that they’re going up against a Canadian team, and everybody’s going to go down the I-5 to catch a game. So, the demand is huge for tickets,” he said.

The Blue Jays will need to take at least two of three in Seattle if they want to extend the series and get back to the friendly confines of Toronto’s Rogers Centre for potential Games 6 and 7.