Planning a visit to New York next week with hopes of witnessing the Blue Jays securing their first post-season series victory since 2016? Securing tickets might prove to be a challenge. Canadian residents are not allowed to purchase tickets for the potential American League Division Series game at Yankee Stadium next week. The Blue Jays, who clinched the AL East title, will skip MLB’s wild-card round and proceed directly to the AL Division Series. They are set to face the winners of the best-of-three wild-card series between the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox, commencing on Tuesday.
The regular season concluded with both the Jays and their New York counterparts boasting identical records of 94 wins and 68 losses. Toronto claimed the division title by holding the tiebreaker over the Yankees. The ALDS will transition from Toronto to either the Bronx or Boston for game 3 on October 7.
However, fans trying to purchase tickets for game 3 or a potential game 4 in New York via Ticketmaster are encountering a message indicating that sales are limited to residents of New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania. Residency eligibility will be determined by the buyer’s credit card billing address, and sales to individuals outside these states will be canceled, with refunds issued.
A representative from the Yankees informed CBC News that the restrictive policy is intended to combat ticket scalping. This policy is also applicable during the wild-card round, with Red Sox supporters expressing discontent.
Canadian-based Blue Jays enthusiasts will not encounter similar restrictions if the Red Sox prevail over the Yankees and progress to face Toronto in subsequent rounds. A Red Sox spokesperson confirmed that there are no purchase eligibility limitations at Fenway Park.
This is not the first instance of Canadian sports fans being prohibited from buying playoff tickets for U.S. games. In 2023, Canadian residents were barred for 24 hours from purchasing tickets for the Toronto Maple Leafs’ 2nd-round playoff series in Florida.