With MLB playoffs underway, it's time for us at Stadium Journey to once again rank the game-day experience at all 30 Major League Baseball Ballparks. Will this year’s ranking be the last one the Oakland Coliseum is listed? The next few months will tell.
Stadium Journey ranks arenas based on their unique FANFARE rating scale, which incorporates a venue’s food, atmosphere, neighborhood, fans, accessibility, value, and other factors to create an overall score. When two or more venues are tied, Stadium Journey consults its Council of Elders to break the tie. It’s a different way of looking at venues and produces some variability in our lists that you don’t see elsewhere.
As usual, we predict that this list will garner a great deal of debate. We welcome your input by joining discussions on our Facebook and Twitter pages. We’re sure your MLB Stadium ranking list differs from ours, and isn’t that what makes these lists so appealing?
Andrei Ojeda - Celebrating its 20th year, Petco Park continues to play a huge role in the revitalization of the local area throughout the East Village. With a vibrant neighborhood and enthusiastic fans coming in droves along with one of the more picturesque parks among the 30, it’s no wonder Petco Park continually ranks high in any ballpark rankings.
Chris Green - Progressive Field has become a shining example of how to maintain a beautiful baseball stadium over the years, altering the seating in the upper deck, incorporating local food and beverage providers, and maintaining a modern look in a facility that is nearing its 30th year in operation.
Lloyd Brown - For any fan of baseball, a trip to see the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park is an absolute must. With some improved play on the field, hopefully, more fans will embrace the experience and flood the park on the banks of the Allegheny.
Andrei Ojeda - Since its opening in 2000, Oracle Park has featured some of the busiest turnstiles in all of baseball. From the views beyond the bay to the nightly breeze, Oracle Park, with its gorgeous surroundings anchored by the bay, has done more than its share to bring baseball fans to its gem.
Chris Green – Rising in place of its former namesake, Busch Stadium features stellar food options, a scenic skyline for a backdrop, welcoming and kind fans and staff, and an excellent stadium design for optimum viewing from all angles.
Richard Smith - Citi Field is located in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, specifically the Willets Point neighborhood. The neighborhood near the Flushing River has been known for years for its automobile shops and junkyards. Changes do appear to be happening.
Paul Baker - How old is Fenway Park? It opened the same week that the Titanic sank. While other cities are building billion-dollar complexes to replace ballparks that are only 20 years old, Boston they are simply finding new ways to put modern touches on this classic diamond.
Gregory Koch – From the Minnie and Paul sign to the unique concession items to all the other extras here, a trip to Target Field for a Twins game should be on every fan’s bucket list.
Dave Cottenie - The Cincinnati Reds have grasped a hold of their history and celebrate it better and stronger than any other team in Major League Baseball. Great American Ball Park captures that feeling and offers a fantastic baseball experience. If the Reds are doing well, it is that much better and must be considered among the elite of MLB.
Marc Viquez - American Family Field is one of those major league ballparks that might not stand out to most, but after a visit, you might want to reconsider. It is known for its tailgating, loyal fans, great food, and racing sausages.
Richard Smith - Oriole Park at Camden Yards opened in 1992 and has been considered one of the best Major League Baseball stadiums in the league. Before its opening, the landscape of professional baseball was littered with boring, multipurpose bowl stadiums.
Michael Davis - Coors Field ranks among the best with its beautiful structure, downtown location, and picturesque views. A trip to Coors Field is more than watching a baseball game; Coors Field is a place that signifies the beauty of Colorado. Any sports fan should put Coors Field high on their list of places to visit.
Meg Minard - The D-Backs play their home games at Chase Field, formerly known as Bank One Ballpark. It is one of eight major league baseball stadiums with a dome or retractable roof, definitely needed for the scorching hot summers in Phoenix, AZ.
Eric Moreno - The Astros and Minute Maid Park continue to find ways to make game days feel like big-time events each season. A lot of this is due to the massive amount of success the ball club has experienced in the last decade-plus. From the moment you walk up to the Juice Box, everything becomes a celebration of baseball and the Astros.
Andrei Ojeda - Recent enhancements throughout the third oldest yard in the Majors have made the Dodger Stadium experience much more accessible for fans wanting to experience as much of the historic venue and have assured us that Dodger Stadium will be the home to Dodger Baseball for many more years to come.
Marc Viquez - T-Mobile Park provides everything traditional and non-traditional fans would ever need at a ballpark. The assortment of food, beverages, and value options is impressive, along with its location to public transportation. The views of the city and The Sound are the real highlights of the ballpark.
Marc Viquez - Comerica Park doesn't get a lot of the attention that other major league ballparks do, but it stands out among many of its contemporaries. When you walk around the concourse and visit certain areas, you know you are at a ballpark in Detroit. The accessibility, surrounding neighborhood, and unique touches make a Tiger game worth your time in the Motor City.
Greg Venuto - Yankee Stadium does a good job of blending old and new. Yankee Stadium's frieze is a classic piece of architecture. It lined the roof of the original Yankee Stadium from 1923 to 2008 and has been carried over to the latest version. Monument Park and the Museum are impressive, as well as the bars in the left and right centers, where young people enjoy congregating.
Dave Cottenie - With a deep history as one of the oldest teams in Major League Baseball, the Philadelphia Phillies offer an excellent experience that all baseball fans should put as a must-do. Citizens Bank Park is an attractive and fun facility, especially if the Phillies are winning and, at the end of the game, they ring the bell!
Lloyd Brown - There are very few major league ballparks that can be described as “classic.” Wrigley Field fills that description. Wrigley Field opened as Weeghman Park in 1914, making it the second oldest ballpark still in use, trailing only Boston’s Fenway Park, which opened in 1912. While the ballpark has gone through several renovations over the years, it has retained many elements of the stadium’s original design.
Marc Viquez - The Chicago White Sox have been working very hard to improve the amenities at the stadium. The past few seasons have seen renovations to the concourse concerning food and beverage service, social areas for fans, a brand-new scoreboard, and fan-friendly pricing on game day tickets.
Michael Davis - The third and current home of the Texas Rangers is Globe Life Field, a retractable roof stadium that opened in 2020 with a seating capacity of just over 40,000; the new ballpark is just across the street from the Ranger's former home.
Andrei Ojeda - Opened for service in 1966, Angel Stadium is the 4th oldest active baseball yard. Still nicknamed The Big A, the moniker came about due to the A-shaped scoreboard topped with a “halo” that was originally placed behind the left field fence.
Lloyd Brown - Truist Park is everything fans could ask for in a baseball experience. The overall experience at Truist Park is top-notch when factoring in The Battery and the excitement of the product on the field.
David Welch-Kauffman Stadium is a comfortable place to watch baseball; the Royals have done well to keep an aging stadium from feeling run down. Give the Royals a lot of credit for not just maintaining the stadium but continuously tailoring it for the desired experience of different fans.
Gregory Koch - In 2005, the Nationals came to town, and in 2008, they got a brand-new stadium. Since then, the excitement has worn off, and the crowds have steadily declined, especially as the Nationals’ performance on the field has gone downhill. That said, Nationals Park is still a nice stadium for fans to take in a Major League Baseball game.
Dave Cottenie - The Toronto Blue Jays joined MLB as an expansion team in 1977. Currently owned by Rogers Communications, which also owns Rogers Centre, the Jays have carved themselves a rather large niche as “Canada’s” baseball team. The height of their popularity culminated in the 1992 and 1993 World Series Championships.
Richard Smith - loanDepot park may never make the top of MLB baseball stadium lists, but it is still an enjoyable place to watch a game in an atmosphere that feels very true to its environment.
Lloyd Brown - It is no secret that the home of the Rays is seen as the ugly duckling of MLB stadiums. Its exterior has no appeal, and its support system of wires and beams has resulted in a set of ground rules to cover plays where the ball has hit a beam or support wire. On the other hand, the Rays are a very talented team and frequently go to the playoffs.
Andrei Ojeda - The Oakland Coliseum, along with the city of Oakland, has taken a beating. From the highly publicized crime rates to the more recent scandal surrounding Oakland's mayor and soon the loss of their beloved baseball team, when all is said and done, the city in the East Bay will have lost all three of their major professional teams, among other wounds dealt to the city.
Comments