MILWAUKEE — Playoff baseball returns to American Family Field this Saturday, but fans are already feeling the pinch of rising ticket prices that could climb even higher depending on which team the Milwaukee Brewers face in the NLDS.
As the Brewers await their opponent — either the rival Chicago Cubs or San Diego Padres — ticket prices are fluctuating based on the ongoing wild card match-up between those two teams.
On Tuesday, the average price for a ticket at American Family Field was around $384.55 for NLDS Game 1, according to TickPick, $331.11 on average for TicketIQ, and roughly $203 across all rounds, according to Vivid Seats.
Watch: Brewers home playoff prices swing while fans await wild card winner
TMJ4 tracked ticket resale prices on major platforms throughout Tuesday's Cubs-Padres game to see how costs would change. Before the game started, with the Cubs leading the series 1-0, standing room only tickets cost $164.98 on Ticketmaster with fees included before tax and $172 on StubHub with fees included.
Halfway through the game, a ticket for standing room only cost $163.80 on Ticketmaster and $148 on StubHub.
After the Padres' 3-0 victory, prices dropped slightly to $158.20 on Ticketmaster and $148 on StubHub — still a significant cost for some fans hoping to attend.
"I believe they can do it. Have to stay positive, though," said Dwain Arneson, a Brewers fan ready to support his team.
When told about the ticket prices, Arneson's enthusiasm was tempered by sticker shock.
"That's really pricey. Oh my gosh," Arneson said.
His mother passed away last month. She was a big Brewers fan, so Arneson told TMJ4 he may bite the bullet and grab a ticket to one game in her honor.
The high costs are pushing some fans to alternative viewing options.
"That's pretty high for us," said Graciela Baldwin, who plans to watch on television instead.
Baldwin also has a preference for which team she'd rather not see visit Milwaukee.
"Chicago's too close here, you know, we'd have too many fans from them coming, you know, coming up here," Baldwin said.
However, other fans like Anthony Spence and his wife Marion are prepared to pay whatever it takes to be inside the ballpark, even welcoming the potential influx of Cubs fans.
"We have a rival between the Packers and the Bears, so let's keep this rival going," Spence said.
The Cubs and Padres will face off one more time Thursday, with the winner advancing to face Milwaukee. If the Cubs win, ticket prices could grow higher due to the rivalry and the distance to travel.
Game times for Saturday and Monday's potential games have yet to be determined.
If the Brewers advance to the World Series, tickets are already selling for well over $1,000 according to multiple ticketing sites.
This story was reported on-air by Mike Beiermeister and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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