‘Unprecedented demand’ forces Padres to cap season tickets

The San Diego Padres are being rewarded for their big spending.

The team is capping season-ticket sales for the upcoming season “due to unprecedented demand.”

The final day to purchase Padres season tickets is on Feb. 4, coinciding with the team’s fanfest. 

• After that date, interested fans will be put on a waitlist — a first in the club’s 54-year existence.
• “It is important for us to cap our season-ticket memberships at this time to ensure that every Padres fan has an opportunity to attend a game at Petco Park during the 2023 season,” said Padres CEO Erik Greupner. 
• Single-game tickets go on sale Feb. 7.

The Padres drew 3 million fans across 81 home games in 2022, fifth in Major League Baseball in both average and total attendance.

High-Flying Friars

The uptick in fan interest follows a playoff run and big offseason additions to an already star-studded roster.

San Diego signed shortstop Xander Bogaerts to an 11-year, $280 million contract, bringing its estimated 2023 payroll to $251 million, third-highest in MLB.

Bogaerts is one of six Padres on a contract with an average annual value at $20 million or more, along with Manny Machado ($32 million per year), Juan Soto ($23 million), Yu Darvish ($21.5 million), Fernando Tatis Jr. ($21.3 million), and Joe Musgrove ($20 million).