Jason Burgos
The St. Louis Cardinals showed they seem to care more about the fan experience at their games with a new stadium deal that the New York Yankees or Los Angeles Dodgers would never do.
Payrolls and player salaries have gotten out of control in MLB over the last six years. It is why there is a lot of speculation that there could be a lockout after the 2026 season. Yet, when teams spend huge sums to build their roster to win games, it is the fans who really pay the cost.
While salaries have gone up big time this decade, so has the price of tickets to see some of the most popular teams in baseball. Teams like the LA Dodgers ($177), NY Yankees ($105), Houston Astros ($133), Boston Red Sox ($132), and Chicago Cubs ($108) had some of the most expensive average ticket prices last season.
Yet, one beloved franchise that often tries to avoid price-gauging their fans is the Cardinals. Last year, the average price to see a game at Busch Stadium was $88 — which was 16th highest in the league. With the franchise in a rebuild, they understandably did not look to increase prices this year.
However, they have gone even further to make the fan experience for fans during what is expected to be a tough season more enjoyable.
Cardinals offering wild $29 unlimited concessions deal in 2026
This year, the Cardinals will offer a unique concessions deal. For just $29, a fan can get unlimited Coke beverage products, unlimited hot dogs, unlimited peanuts, unlimited bratwurst, unlimited nachos, unlimited fries, unlimited chips, and other unlimited options. This, of course, does not include the cost of the ticket.
However, if you are trying to bring a family to a game and keep everyone happy with some enjoyable food, it can get very costly at MLB ballparks. However, you can stuff a family of four for around $120 if you go to a Cardinals game this season. Furthermore, there are many games this season where you can find seats in the $50 range.
While it won’t make the play on the field better, the Cardinals are trying to do something to make a ball game at Busch Stadium more enjoyable for families. It’s a deal that the LA Dodgers, NY Yankees, and many other big-market clubs would never do as they aim to make huge money off tickets and concessions this summer.
Hopefully, if this is a hit, it will shame those clubs into trying something similar for their fans in future seasons.
