When 16-year-old me set a objective to go to all 30 Major League Baseball stadiums, I knew it will take time — and cash. What I did not know was how far one bank card would take me. And how little cash I’d really spend.
And no, I’m not speaking a couple of premium travel card loaded with perks and a excessive annual charge. The MVP of my ballpark bucket record is definitely the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (see charges and charges), which, for a restricted time, is providing 100,00 bonus factors after spending $5,000 inside three months of account opening. TPG values these factors at over $2,000 based mostly on our April 2025 valuations.
Utilizing Chase Ultimate Rewards factors has helped me reduce my lodge bills and plan annual baseball journeys. So, with my CSP in hand, this is how one bank card helped me chase my MLB ballpark bucket record and already knock out 20 of 30 stadiums.
Why the Chase Sapphire Preferred card hits it out of the park
Ballparks aren’t all the time in main cities or “bucket list” cities, however that is precisely why money costs could be off-putting. With my CSP, I offset the value by turning reward factors into high-value lodge stays.
Chase has three lodge switch companions, however arguably, the finest is World of Hyatt. The beneficiant award chart and 1:1 switch ratio make my factors stretch far and large.
Some of my finest redemptions have really come from mid-size cities with surprisingly excessive lodge costs. (I’m taking a look at you, Cleveland.)
The Sapphire Preferred card additionally comes with an annual $50 lodge credit score every anniversary 12 months. The solely caveat is that you’ve to e book your keep via the Chase Travel℠ portal — however there isn’t any minimal spend, and it really works on one-night getaways.
Lastly, this card comes with journey cancellation and interruption insurance coverage, baggage delay insurance coverage, and auto rental protection. Therefore, I’ve peace of thoughts realizing I’m all the time coated if my bag does not arrive with me, one thing occurs with my automobile rental, my travels are interrupted, or I’ve to cancel the journey outright.
Related: Chase Sapphire Preferred advantages: Everything you want to know
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Using Chase’s switch companions to e book travel
In my most up-to-date MLB travel stint, I made a decision I needed to cross off two ballparks this 12 months — so Ohio match the invoice, as the state homes each the Cleveland Guardians and the Cincinnati Reds.
First issues first, I had to discover a weekend when each groups had been taking part in at residence. Once I narrowed down my dates, I began trying to find a lodge.
I all the time like to keep inside a 10-15 minute stroll of the ballpark so I haven’t got to fear about paying for an Uber and/or Lyft or driving if I hire a automobile. In Cleveland, the Hyatt Regency Cleveland at the Arcade was centrally situated and shut to Progressive Field. But after I appeared up money costs for my dates, it was popping out to $320.12 an evening. This is a bit steep, for my part, for a Category 3 property in the Midwest.
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However, on the rewards aspect, it was 12,000 Hyatt factors per night time — or a 2.7 cent redemption — which is nicely above our 1.7 cent valuation of World of Hyatt factors, per our April 2025 estimation. My three-night keep in Cleveland simply went from $930.36 to 36,000 Hyatt factors.
Since Chase factors switch to Hyatt at a 1:1 price, I simply transferred 36,000 factors to my Hyatt account to e book my keep.
Related: Should I get the World of Hyatt Credit Card or switch factors from Chase as an alternative?
Chase’s Underrated $50 annual lodge credit score
It was time to e book my Cincinnati lodge. The Hyatt Regency Cincinnati was in an ideal spot and match my parameters for being shut sufficient to the Great American Ball Park. It additionally went for a way more favorable price — $174.18 an evening after taxes and charges.
My two-night itinerary was thought-about “peak” nights, making it 15,000 Hyatt factors an evening. Had I made that redemption, I might have solely gotten a price of about 1.2 cents per level, which is below our 1.7-cent Hyatt valuation — so, not a superb deal.
I rapidly checked my CSP advantages and realized I hadn’t used my $50 annual lodge credit score but. This appeared like the good alternative.
By reserving via the Chase portal, I might finally obtain a $50 assertion credit score, decreasing the value from $348.36 to $298.36 for my two-night keep. Per the phrases of the profit, the credit score posts between one to two billing cycles, however mine solely took 48 hours.
Plus, since cardholders earn 5 factors per greenback spent on Chase travel bookings, I earned over 1,400 Chase factors on this transaction, serving to me stash factors for a future journey.
Related: The 8 finest bank cards with annual charges below $100
The massive image: How far can 100k Chase factors take you?
So far, I’ve seen video games at 20 out of the 30 MLB ballparks. Across the board, Chase-to-Hyatt transfers have been an enormous assist, particularly in cities the place lodge costs could be surprisingly excessive.
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If you’d want to keep at a boutique lodge (or one other model), you may as well redeem your factors via Chase Travel for a hard and fast worth of 1.25 cents apiece. Just take into accout you’d doubtless get higher worth by transferring to considered one of Chase’s lodge companions as an alternative.
With 100,000 Chase factors, I might theoretically cowl 10 nights at a number of Hyatt properties round the U.S. Here’s how:
| City | Hotel | Two nights on factors | Cash Value | Points Value* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baltimore, Maryland | Hyatt Regency Baltimore Inner Harbor | 24,000 (customary price) | $582.80 | 2.4 cents |
| Phoenix, Arizona | Hyatt Regency Phoenix | 18,000 (off-peak price) | $508.82 | 2.8 cents |
| Cleveland, Ohio | Hyatt Regency Cleveland at the Arcade | 24,000 (customary price) | $620.24 | 2.6 cents |
| Houston, Texas | Hyatt Place Houston / Downtown | 18,000 (customary price) | $326.17 | 1.8 cents |
| St. Louis, Missouri | Hyatt Regency St. Louis at The Arch | 13,000 (off-peak price) | $356.86 | 2.7 cents |
*Value is predicated on our TPG April 2025 valuations.
With the Chase Sapphire Preferred card, I might simply pay for 10 nights at 5 completely different ballpark cities with this one limited-time welcome bonus (and save nearly $2,500).
Although the desk above is a mixture of customary and off-peak charges, baseball season runs for a number of months, so you may doubtless discover off-peak pricing for those who’re versatile in your travel dates (and stretch your factors even additional).
Related: Who’s eligible for the Chase Sapphire Preferred’s 100,000-point bonus?
Bottom Line
You can use factors to redeem for once-in-a-lifetime travel, or you may chip away at a distinct segment bucket record merchandise like I’ve, redeeming factors slowly however certainly.
I’ve primarily stayed at Hyatt lodges, however the flexibility to switch to different lodges (or airways) or redeem via the Chase portal at a hard and fast possibility provides you completely different decisions in the metropolis you are visiting.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred 100,000-point bonus provide will not final perpetually. If you’ve got been fascinated by beginning your personal bucket record journey — or simply need to lower your expenses on travel — the time to apply is now.
To study extra, learn our full evaluation of the Chase Sapphire Preferred card.
