Cheap tickets meet extreme heat at Dodger Stadium. The Los Angeles Dodgers are hosting the Atlanta Braves for NLDS Game 1, with the cheapest playoff tickets among all remaining teams. Yet, despite the postseason stakes and affordable seats, a 1:00 p.m. first pitch is what’s headlining the discussions.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
In 2026, more than four million fans packed the iconic ballpark, making the Los Angeles Dodgers MLB’s attendance leaders with an average of 49,805 fans per game. But when October baseball arrives on Saturday, the Dodgers could face a rare sight. Not a sea of blue, but a few noticeably empty seats.
The Padres’ Wild Card win locked the Dodgers into the early afternoon slot, freeing evening windows for other Division Series games. For a fanbase that routinely fills Dodger Stadium, Saturday’s unusual start time could create an unexpected October scene.
“The Dodgers have the cheapest ticket of any team in the ALDS or NLDS. Get-in Price for Game 1 in LA: $56,” TickPick shared via X.
The Dodgers’ median 2025 ticket ($177) ranked second-highest in baseball, behind only the A’s ($181), yet NLDS 2026 seats start at $56.
Moreover, the Chicago White Sox vs Cleveland Guardians ALDS game commands the highest median asking prices among the four active series, especially after Chicago’s wait for 21 years. According to ticket marketplace data reported by TicketNews, the intense AL Central rivalry has driven secondary market demand well past the other Division Series.
Secondary market demand for games at Guaranteed Rate Field has surged drastically, with tickets selling for up to $1,000 and the median standing at $581. Per TickPick, the average price for the White Sox-Guardians game has jumped 365%, averaging $214, while Chicago’s home game ticket prices averaged $46.
The Milwaukee Brewers-San Diego Padres series is at the lower end of the median ticket pricing ($288), while New York Yankees-Tampa Bay Rays are at a moderate level ($308 median) with one of the deepest active ticket markets of the round.
But in Dodger Stadium, even the seats behind home plate are available for as low as $434. Yet, with the game just a few hours away, MLB’s official ticketing website shows there are swaths of seats available.
Despite this low price, the Dodgers fans are taking out their frustrations on social media. Reason?
A major heat wave in Los Angeles, with temperatures at Dodger Stadium expected to climb to 101–102°F (38–39°C) right around first pitch.
Making his Dodgers postseason debut, Tarik Skubal shared a message with fans.
“Hopefully everyone is drinking a lot of water and staying hydrated. It’s going to be a hot one. I’m excited, though,” shared the Game 1 starter.
“Game 1 first pitch temperature could be into the upper 90s at Dodger Stadium,” Severe Weather Team 2 Meteorologist Brian Monahan noted.
The NLDS Game 1 and Game 2 will be the hottest games for both the Braves and Dodgers in 2026. Even the manager is concerned about the temperature more than who they will play against.
“I would prefer to play at night, but as far as who we play, I don’t think we really care. It’s going to be a hot weekend, and to play at night would certainly be more beneficial,” Dave Roberts noted on Wednesday, still unsure whether they would face the Braves or the Philadelphia Phillies.
But this is not the first time Dodger Stadium has hosted on such a hot day.
It was LA’s first World Series berth since 1988 against the Houston Astros. 2017. The home team took its BP at a scorching 104-degree heat. One fan even showed the extreme conditions with two simple snaps.
A melted stick of butter and an iPhone message about needing to cool down “before you can use it.” Despite the crushing heat wave, the game drew an absolute sellout crowd of 54,253 fans. As a highly anticipated World Series opener after a 29-year wait like this year’s White Sox series, fans braved the elements, showing up hours early to fight gridlock traffic and pack the stadium.
For this season, the broadcasters may find it easy to telecast the live games (the Padres’ game in the evening after the Dodgers game). But Dodger Stadium may pay the price for an early afternoon start.
The Dodgers fans are left unimpressed with the first-pitch timing
“Move the start time to 745 and those sales would triple if not quadruple,” one fan wrote.
It’s not that the fans are no longer flocking to Dodger Stadium. It’s the timing and early afternoon temperature that is keeping the Dodgers fans away.
“Afternoon game makes sense ig. I wonder if it’ll even be a full house or how full it’ll be come first pitch,” another fan reacted.
If the game extends into late innings, more seats may fill as temperatures drop, with a sea of blues. But uncertainty remains during the first pitch.
“I was thinking about going until I checked the weather… for a 1 pm game I will pass and watch with the A/C on in the living room,” one more user noted.
“A 1 pm game in 100° weather will do that,” another agreed.
The Dodgers may draw strong TV ratings, but Saturday’s stadium could sit half-empty.
“102 at first pitch, blazing hot sun, 1 pm, no shade … MLB, this is insane; play the game at night,” one fan suggested.
The Dodgers-Braves game at night means it will overlap with the Padres game. So, the hottest game of 2026 might be on the way. Even though the actual ticket sale data is not yet available, we have seen the Dodgers’ postseason game tickets sell out completely within hours. But this time, fan sentiment suggests that may take a hit.
But this is just one game we are talking about.
Sunday is an off day for the AL teams. Next, the Dodgers will play at 8 p.m. ET. After that, the series will shift to Atlanta. Games 3 and 4 will be held at 6 p.m. ET. If there’s a Game 5, it will return to Los Angeles. But the timing is definitely not brutal. 8 p.m. ET.