A Major League Baseball fan went viral on TikTok after showcasing the “outrageous” prices for various snacks and meals sold at the Rogers Centre. It’s sparked a conversation on just how difficult it can be to take a family out for a traditional day at the ballpark.
Jesse Pollock (@jessepollock42) recently went to a Toronto Blue Jays game where he said the food was exorbitantly priced. While he noted that this is not a new phenomenon, he was nevertheless in shock at how expensive some commonly purchased meals went for. As of Monday, his clip had amassed over 1.2 million views.
“The cost of food at Blue Jays games is OUTRAGEOUS,” Pollock wrote in the text overlay. “Look at these prices.”
Pollock then panned his camera over the various menu items and highlighted each combo’s price point. A handful of chicken tenders, fries, and a soft drink cost nearly $30. A similar footlong hot dog meal cost the same amount.
“That’s outrageous,” Pollock said.
The venue, he said, also sold a meal that included an undisclosed number of tacos served with a margarita for $29.58. Of course, if patrons wanted a non-alcoholic option, the taco meal with a “souvenir fountain beverage” cost $26.58.
“$30 for tacos?” Pollock questioned.
While there were food options available to vegetarians, the prices were just as insane, Pollock said. For instance, one item, called a “plant-based bowl,” which came with a bottled soda, sold for $25.68. It was nearly $1 cheaper if a patron opted for bottled water versus a soft drink.
Food wasn’t the only expensive thing sold at the games, though. According to Pollock, the stadium served a “souvenir draught beer” for nearly $18. Souvenir fountain drinks were $11.
The “cheapest” bites, he said, were individually-sold slices of pizza ($7.79 or $8.29), nachos with cheese ($8.49), a Bavarian pretzel ($6.19), and assorted chips ($4.49). Still, the prices still didn’t sit well with Pollock.
“This is not right,” he proclaimed.
Pollock noted that the stadium sold $1 “loonie dog[s].” But he said that was the only reasonably priced menu item he could find.
“Obviously it’s not just the Jays that have prices like this,” he said. “But it’s just a reminder than any sporting event has such expensive food.”
How expensive are snacks at MLB stadiums?
According to USA Today, food prices vary by stadium. Hot dog prices, it reported, ranged from $3 to $8 among stadiums with available price data. Among teams based in the U.S., the stadiums selling the most expensive hotdogs were those hosting the Baltimore Orioles ($8.25), the Oakland Athletics ($7.79), the St. Louis Cardinals ($7.75), the San Francisco Giants ($7.75), and the San Diego Padres ($7.75). Statista also reported that prices for beer, soft drinks, and hot dogs have seen a “significant increase” between 2010 and 2023.
The increase in prices had some viewers pledging to no longer attend certain live sporting events.
@jessepollock22 The prices for food at sporting events are getting outrageous 😵💫💰 #sports #baseball #mlb #bluejays #toronto #canada ♬ original sound – Jesse Pollock
“Sports are no longer affordable for families,” one user wrote.
“boycott the sports franchises for a year,” another added.
“Organized professional sports is the biggest scam out there,” a third viewer said.
The Daily Dot has reached out to Pollock via TikTok comment and to the Toronto Blue Jays through an online contact form.