The Orioles' latest announcement will excite fans heading to Camden Yards this summer

Regardless of what team you root for, baseball fans around the country can agree on one thing: there is something special about biting into a crisp ballpark hotdog, cracking open a can of cold beer or soda, and enjoying ballpark nachos with those round jalapeño peppers.

On Wednesday, the Orioles made an announcement that should excite all visitors to the ballpark: they have released the "Birdland Value Menu," which offers a whole line of popular ballpark concessions for significantly less than the Orioles have charged in the past. To quote Stephanie Tanner, hot dog!

The Value Menu will be available in 8 sections around Camden Yards: 17, 31, 49, 56, 80, 89, 334 and 373. The drop in concession prices on the Value Menu is a welcome sight for attendees of Camden Yards. As noted by Matt Weyrich of the Baltimore Sun, "a study conducted by USA Today in 2023 found that the Orioles served the most expensive hot dogs and the second priciest beer in MLB." According to an article from the Baltimore Sun in 2023, a jumbo hot dog at Camden Yards cost $8.25, while a domestic beer was $10.99 (yes, the $10.99 beer was likely bigger than 12 ounces). A jumbo pretzel was $6.99, while a bottled water was $5.49 (not much more than the $4.00 water on the Value Menu).

A website called WebstaurantStore created an interesting info-graphic of concession prices around Major League ballparks in 2024. According to the info-graphic, Coors Field had the cheapest average beer price at $3.00, while Nationals Park had the most expensive average beer price at $14.99. Guess who came in second for most expensive beer? Oriole Park at Camden Yards.

The Baltimore Orioles introduce the crowd-pleasing "Value Menu" to Camden Yards

The move to fan-friendly concession prices is spearheaded by President of Business Operations Catie Griggs, who has initiated similar programs with the Atlanta United soccer team and the Seattle Mariners. Thankfully Griggs recognized the need to make food and drink at Oriole games more affordable. As Griggs told Sports Business Journal: “I really got to see firsthand the impact of ensuring that all parts of the experience are accessible and what that can mean for your fans." Kudos to Ms. Griggs, who recently joined the Orioles, for hitting the ground running with this move. She clearly gets it.

"“I really got to see firsthand the impact of ensuring that all parts of the experience are accessible and what that can mean for your fans."

Catie Griggs, President of Business Op.

Reasonable minds would agree that the Orioles seem intent on improving the fan experience for 2025. They are providing affordable concessions, expanded the bird bath, and even moved the left field fence in for more home runs. Where fans would disagree, however, is whether the Orioles have sufficiently improved the on-field experience. In response to news of the Value Menu, one fan, "TravTrav2131", tweeted that he would "pay $15 a beer if they would sign top tier free agents."

Frustration with player moves - or the lack thereof - is reasonable. The Orioles have lost two of their best players in Corbin Burnes and Anthony Santander, and replaced them with a crop of solid, but unspectacular players in Tyler O'Neill, Gary Sanchez, Tomoyuki Sugano, Charlie Morton, and Andrew Kittredge. But even if the Orioles struggle to replace Burnes' pitching and Santander's power, one thing is for sure: fans will be getting their moneys worth at the concession stands this summer.