The St. Louis Cardinals showed with a new stadium deal that they care more about the fan experience at their games than the New York Yankees or Los Angeles Dodgers ever will.
Payroll and player salaries have spiraled out of control in MLB over the past six years. That is why there is speculation that there could be a lockout after the 2026 season. Still, when teams spend huge sums of money to build their rosters to win games, it's the fans who really pay the price.
While salaries have increased drastically this decade, the price of tickets to see some of the most popular teams in baseball has also increased. Teams like the LA Dodgers ($177), NY Yankees ($105), Houston Astros ($133), Boston Red Sox ($132), and Chicago Cubs ($108) had the most expensive average ticket prices last season.
Still, one beloved franchise that often tries to avoid assessing value to its fans is the Cardinals. Last year, the average price to see a game at Busch Stadium was $88 – the 16th highest price in the league. With the franchise rebuilding, they clearly didn't consider raising prices this year.
However, they have gone even further to make the fan experience more entertaining for fans during a difficult season.
Cardinals are offering $29 unlimited concession deal in 2026
This year, the Cardinals will offer a unique concession deal. For just $29, a fan can get unlimited Coke beverage products, unlimited hot dogs, unlimited peanuts, unlimited bratwursts, unlimited nachos, unlimited fries, unlimited chips, and unlimited other options. Of course, this doesn't include the ticket price.
However, if you're trying to bring a family to a game and keep everyone happy with some enjoyable food, it can get pretty pricey at an MLB ballpark. However, if you go to a Cardinals game this season you can load up a family of four for about $120. Additionally, there are several games this season where you can find seats in the $50 range.
While it won't make the game on the field any better, the Cardinals are trying to do something to make ball games at Busch Stadium more enjoyable for families. It's a deal that the LA Dodgers, NY Yankees and many other big-market clubs will never make as their goal is to make big money from tickets and concessions this summer.
Hopefully, if this is a hit, it will embarrass those clubs into trying something similar for their fans in future seasons.
