This story is part of How We Get By, a KQED series exploring how people are coping with rising costs in the Bay Area and California. Find the full series here.
Some Bay Area baseball fans may say that watching your team play at their home field, surrounded by fans buzzing with excitement before first pitch — is priceless.
But others will tell you that living here is only getting much more expensive — and that they’ll gladly find ways to save while supporting their team.
With the start of July, we’re roughly halfway through the regular Major League Baseball season.
And while Bay Area baseball fans are still mourning the loss of the A’s (based in West Sacramento for now before their move to Las Vegas in 2028), there are teams all over the region to root for — including the San Francisco Giants, of course.
We dived into the numbers — and asked the experts — to learn the best strategies for enjoying baseball in person with family and friends while keeping costs down.
The Giants may be having a rough season — it’s tough to see them so far from the Dodgers and Padres in league standings — but fans are still snatching up good seats. A Giants spokesperson shared four different ways with us to save on tickets this season:
Fan Value Games
For select games this season, you can get tickets in either the 300 section (the “nosebleed” seats) or the bleachers (behind left field, so no views of the Bay) starting at $16.
Keep in mind that the cheapest tickets in the 300 section run out pretty quickly and some games only have bleacher seats left — so you may have better luck at finding 300 section seats for games scheduled later this summer.
Summer Brews & Baseball
For July home games (which include games against the Toronto Blue Jays, Colorado Rockies, Los Angeles Angels and Milwaukee Brewers), you can buy discounted Summer Brews & Baseball tickets which will also include a voucher for a Coors Light beer or another concession item up to $17 in value.
As of this story’s publication, some games still have seats starting at $19, but others are seeing the cheaper tickets go much faster — so be quick.
Special ticket offers for certain fans
The Giants offer up to a 40% discount for students, educators, healthcare workers, seniors and military members. Friday games usually have the biggest discounts — but you will have to buy tickets online through the official Giants ticket platform to confirm you qualify.
Students, for example, will have to confirm their university and school-provided email, while healthcare workers will need to upload a photo of their work-issued ID or another confirming document.
Weekend Four Packs
These are discounted ticket packs that come with a $20 voucher for food or drink purchases at the stadium. They’re only available for Friday and weekend games, and while the Giants advertise that a four-ticket pack starts at $139 (roughly $35 per ticket), what you end up paying depends on available seats. For some games, individual tickets that qualify for this offer range from $67 to $150.
Get creative with your seats
Remember, if you want tickets for less than $100, you’ll most likely have to stick to higher seats in the 300 section of the stadium. But longtime fans say that even if seats are far away from the action on the field, you’re still going to have a good time.
“With Giants games, you don’t have to feel stressed out about buying an expensive ticket in the 100 section,” San Francisco baseball fan Max Fisher said. “If you get the cheapest ticket and sit in the 300 section, you look out at the Bay, the boats going by and Treasure Island. It’s just really beautiful no matter where you sit.”
Want to try your luck at catching a foul ball? You still have a slim chance of doing so in the first ten rows of the 300 section, Fisher said. “Which is fun — at least for people who think they have a chance to do that.”
If you end up in the bleachers facing away from the Bay, you’ll be in one of the most energized areas of the stadium. “The bleachers are super lively and a ton of fun to hang out with a lot of the local die-hard fans,” Fisher said.
And for the more adventurous, you can also consider renting a kayak and watching the game while floating on the Bay. A three-hour reservation can range from $89 to $120 (additional fees not included) per person.
Bring your own food
While you may be craving pretzels or chicken tenders while watching the game, one way to save money at Oracle Park is by bringing in your own food. You can bring outside food as long as it’s stored in a container that follows stadium guidelines (meaning: no coolers or massive backpacks). The same goes for water, as long as it’s brought in a reusable bottle. Outside alcoholic beverages, however, are not permitted.
Look for free merch
There are a bunch of free merch days on the Giants schedule: when the first few thousand fans at a game can receive a free bobblehead or special themed merch. But be ready, these giveaways can be quite competitive — many fans waited for hours before a game against the Atlanta Braves last year just to get a Hello Kitty jersey.
(Going with young kids and worried that your budget won’t cover regular merch? Take them for a walk around the stadium to keep them entertained. Walk to the left field bleachers to the Coca-Cola slide, get a selfie with the biggest baseball glove in the world and hit some whiffle balls in the 50-by-50 foot replica of Oracle Park.)
Save on parking
If you really need to drive but want to save on parking, you can book a spot at a parking lot near Oracle Park ahead of time with booking website SpotHero. A three-hour reservation in the Mission Bay neighborhood can range from $10 up to $26 in the pricier Chase Center parking lot.
If you’re trying to avoid paying for a spot entirely, some fans recommend parking near Mission and 16th Street and taking the 22 Muni bus straight to Oracle Park.
Take public transit
There are plenty of public transportation options available near Oracle Park to save on gas and parking.
Coming in from San Mateo County and downtown San José? Take Caltrain to 4th and King station. Adult ticket prices depend on how far you’re traveling: Coming from San José will cost $10.75, while a trip from Redwood City will be $6.25.
Youth tickets (18 and under) are priced at $1, regardless of the distance.
Coming in from the East Bay? Take BART to Powell Street station, where you can transfer to either Muni Metro’s Judah or T Third line. While Muni fare is fixed (currently $2.85 per adult and free for youth 18 and under), BART will charge you based on how long your trip is.
While you may love the Giants (or the view from Oracle Park), getting to San Francisco still means investing time and money. Luckily, you still have plenty of options in other parts of the Bay Area to enjoy a good ballgame.
The Oakland Ballers
In just its third season in existence, this East Bay team has already claimed one Pioneer League Championship — the Town’s first baseball championship since 1989, when the Athletics still called the Coliseum home.
As for the Ballers’ home, that’s Raimondi Park: located about a 20-minute walk or 10-minute bus ride from West Oakland BART station.
After the A’s left the city in 2024, the Ballers sought to bring different parts of the Oakland identity into the field. Too $hort has performed at a game this season already, followed by a punk rock night a few weeks later.
Cost: General admission seats behind first and third base usually go for less than $25. Seats behind the pitcher can range from $35 to $50. Fieldside seats are offered at $105.
Keep an eye out for deals specific to the day of the week as well. On Wednesday, for example, if you buy food at the game, you’ll get $15 off your first food order.
The San José Giants
The Single-A minor league affiliate of the San Francisco Giants plays at Excite Ballpark, south of San José’s downtown.
For many South Bay families, a San José Giants game is tradition: churros from Olimpos (pretty big portions going for about $6), watching Gigante — one of the most enthusiastic mascots in baseball — dance all over the field, and a spectacular fireworks show at the end of most games.
Cost: Seating behind the pitcher can range from $8 in the upper section to $35 in rows closest to the field. You can also reserve a picnic table that can sit up to eight guests (normally $23.50 per person) near first base.
San José National Adult Baseball Association teams
Comprising dozens of teams located in the South Bay, the East Bay and the Peninsula, NABA welcomes college-level and former pro-level players.
Most games are free and played at public parks or high schools.
The regular summer season for NABA’s three divisions lasts 12 weeks from March till the end of July. You can find the complete schedule of upcoming games here.
Cost: Games are free and played across the Bay Area.
This story includes reporting by KQED’s Elize Manoukian.