MLB Hottest Teams: Ohtani Drives Dodgers, Yankees Are Global, Soto Surges Mets
Thursday, March 13, 2025 at 02:33PM By Barry Janoff
March 13, 2025: When it comes to selling tickets, moving merchandise and garnering attention worldwide, it pays to be the reigning World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers.
But when it comes to surging teams led by a new star, the New York Mets and Juan Soto are right at the top of the list.
The Dodgers and NL MVP Shohei Ohtani open the 2025 MLB season with two sold-out games in the Tokyo Dome against the Chicago Cubs in the Tokyo Series presented by Guggenheim March 18-19, in what MLB has called “the largest international event for sponsorship in the history of the league.”
They then return to the U.S. for Opening Weekend March 27-30 to play in the No. 1 Home Opener for ticket sales — hosting the Detroit Tigers in Dodger Stadium March 27 — driving 31% more sales than the No. 2 Home Opener in which the New York Yankees host the Milwaukee Brewers March 27.
The Dodgers are also the No. 1 In-Demand MLB Team overall, according to the just-released “2025 MLB Season Preview” from online ticket platform StubHub.
"The Dodgers, fresh off an unforgettable World Series run, continue to be a major draw leading ticket demand in StubHub’s MLB Season Preview,” Adam Budelli, StubHub senior partnerships manager and spokesperson, said via the company.
With Japanese star pitcher Roki Sasaki joining Ohtani and pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto this season, the Dodgers are not just a domestic but International magnet for fans.
“The Dodgers have the highest sales volume from international ticket buyers on StubHub,” said Budelli.
This season sets a new record in StubHub MLB Preview history, with ticket buyers from 77 countries on StubHub and viagogo, up from 64 countries last year.
The Dodgers' Aug. 15 home game against the San Diego Padres has sold the most tickets to buyers from Japan, with 28% more tickets sold than their April 30 game against the Florida Marlins at No. 2.
“Fans from Japan have purchased more tickets than any other country — outside of the U.S. and Canada —driven by Japan's collective star power in Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki,” according to StubHub.
Ticket buyers from Japan have purchased almost 3.5 times more tickets than buyers from the U.K., which comes in at No. 2.
U.S. buyers account for 80% of tickets sold on StubHub for the Dodgers-Cubs MLB Tokyo Series.
Nearly half of those U.S. buyers are from California.
The Yankees, which lost to the Dodgers in the 2024 World Series, continue to be a MLB hot ticket domestically and abroad..
They are the No. 3 Most In-Demand Team behind the Dodgers and Boston Red Sox, with 28% more sales than the No. 4 Atlanta Braves.
In addition to their Home Opener, they play in two of the Top Four Most In-Demand Games (after Home Openers), both hosting the crosstown rival Mets (May 16-17).
"The Dodgers and Yankees lead the league in international influence, with the Yankees attracting buyers from the most countries and the Dodgers having the highest sales volume from international ticket buyers on StubHub,” said Budelli.
The Yankees have the widest international fanbase on StubHub, with buyers coming from 43 countries outside the U.S. and Canada, up from 35 countries last year.
Buyers from the U.K., Australia, and Denmark are buying the most tickets to Yankees games on StubHub.
However, with All-Star Juan Soto moving from The Bronx to Queens, “The Yankees-Mets rivalry is a hot point of the season with ticket sales (for the Yankees-Mets series in Yankee Stadium) up over 23 times compared to last season."
Sales for the games in the series when the Yankees play the Mets in Citi Field July 4-6 are up by nearly three-times on StubHub compared to last season.
The Mets' ticket sales tripled on StubHub compared to this time last year following the signing of Soto in the offseason.
They are the No. 6 Most In-Demand Team, their highest ranking ever in StubHub preview history, with 52% more tickets sold compared to this same time last year.
In the 24 hours following the Soto signing, StubHub site searches for the Mets jumped 6.5 times.
Overall sales for the Mets 2025 season increased 75% in the same 24 hours.
“The addition of Juan Soto to the Mets roster is igniting a nearly threefold surge in ticket sales ahead of the season start,” said Budelli,
The Red Sox climbed to the No. 2 spot on StubHub's Top In-Demand teams list, up from No. 6 last year, with sales surging 64% year-over-year.
Their home opener against the St. Louis Cardinals April 4 is the No. 5 best-selling home opener with triple the sales of last year's home opener against the Baltimore Orioles.
Concurrently, StubHub said Sacramento fans “are hyped for their first-ever MLB team.”
The former Oakland A’s are scheduled to play the 2025-27 MLB seasons in 11,000-seat Sutter Health Park in Sacramento, home of the Sacramento River Cats, the Triple-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants.
Sales for the A's games on StubHub have jumped 12 times and the number of tickets sold has increased four times, compared to this same time last year when the team was in 63,000-seat Oakland Coliseum, where they played since 1968 but failed to top the one million mark in total attendance since 2019.
"Fans are hyped about the A's, who have had the biggest jump in sales ahead of this season's Opening Day, driven by their move to Sacramento and plans for Las Vegas,” said Budelli.
Top In-Demand MLB Teams
1. Los Angeles Dodgers
2. Boston Red Sox
3. New York Yankees
4. Atlanta Braves
5. Philadelphia Phillies
6. New York Mets
7. Chicago Cubs
8. Texas Rangers
9. San Francisco Giants
10.Seattle Mariners
Based on StubHub and viagogo ticket sales for the 2025 regular season as of March 10, 2025.
Top Trending 2025 MLB Teams
1. A’s
2. New York Mets
3. Kansas City Royals
4. Pittsburgh Pirates
5. Boston Red Sox
6. Miami Marlins
7. Tampa Bay Rays
8. Cincinnati Reds
9. Washington Nationals
10. Seattle Mariners
Based on teams with the largest rate of increase in ticket sales year-over-year on StubHub and viagogo as of March 10, 2025.
Top In-Demand MLB Home Openers
1, Detroit Tigers at Los Angeles Dodgers March 27
2. Milwaukee Brewers at New York Yankees March 27
3. Colorado Rockies at Philadelphia Phillies March 31
4. Chicago White Sox at Detroit Tigers April 4
5. St. Louis Cardinals at Boston Red Sox April 4
Based on StubHub and viagogo ticket sales for the 2025 regular season as of March 10, 2025.
Top In-Demand MLB Games (after Home Openers)
1. Toronto Blue Jays at New York Mets on April 4
2. Cincinnati Reds at New York Mets on July 19
3. New York Mets at New York Yankees on May 17
4. New York Mets at New York Yankees on May 16
5. Los Angeles Dodgers at Atlanta Braves on May 3
Based on StubHub and viagogo ticket sales for the 2025 regular season as of March 10, 2025.
Top International Markets for MLB Tickets (outside of the U.S. and Canada)
1. Japan
2. U.K.
3. Australia
4. Taiwan
5. Mexico
Based on the number of tickets purchased by buyers in each country on StubHub North America and viagogo international marketplaces for 2025 MLB regular season games, as of March 10, 2025.
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