Yankees Prepare For Season’s Final Homestand, Tickets Remain Surprisingly Affordable

Fresh off winning the Subway Series against the crosstown rival Mets, the New York Yankees were able to draw a bit closer to first-place in the AL East division, although they still have work to do, currently trailing the Toronto Blue Jays by 2.5 games.

The Yankees, now at 83-67 on the season, will begin an eight-game homestand this Thursday when the Chicago White Sox come to town, right after they wrap up their critical three-game set with the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre in Toronto. With all of these games left on the schedule having significant meaning, you might expect tickets to be going for outrageous prices during the Yanks’ postseason push, but surprisingly, that is not the case for the upcoming four-game set. In fact, Yankees tickets for their series with the White Sox at Yankee Stadium are averaging only $64.45, while the get-in price fails to top $10 for any of the four games.

Fortunately for the Yankees, winning the AL East isn’t as farfetched an idea as it once seemed just a week ago. While there’s only 11 games left, the lead is well within reach. But even if they can’t ultimately surpass the Jays, they are in prime position to capture one of the two AL Wild Card berths, as they currently own the top spot, which would grant them home-field advantage at Yankee Stadium in the potential one-game showdown.

If the Yankees are going to get to where they want to go, they’ll have to go through the White Sox, who would love nothing more than to serve as a significant playoff spoiler after enduring their own underachieving campaign in 2015. Many figured Chicago could make some noise in the AL Central this season after the moves they made over the offseason, such as trading for upper-rotation starting pitcher Jeff Samardzija, but it just hasn’t panned out, and the White Sox are on the verge of falling into the division basement.

Even so, this is still a pretty good club that has been played terrific in flashes over the course of the season. Part of that has to do with a solid starting rotation, which the Yankees will get a good look throughout the four-game set. The aforementioned Samardzija will be pitching in this series, as will the ace of the staff Chris Sale, not to mention veteran John Danks and promising youngster Carlos Rodon. It’s a fine group capable of giving the Yankees lineup fits over the weekend. Also of note, White Sox closer David Robertson, another one of the team’s acquisitions last winter, will be making his return to Yankee Stadium after previously spending his career in pinstripes. He’s had a fine first showing in his first year in Chicago and his presence is just one more reason fans will want to get to the stadium this weekend.