Ballpark Rankings

[Tim]

I've got tickets to a bunch of stadiums this year and it got me thinking about my overall stadium rankings. I feel like I'm missing a few that I've visited, but the ones below are all I can think of. The ones that are tied at "99" are the ones I'm going to go to this summer.

Rank	City	Team	Park
1	Chicago	Cubs	Wrigley
2	Pittsburgh	Pirates	PNC
3	San Diego	Padres	PetCo
4	Baltimore	Orioles	Camden Yards
5	Philadelphia	Phillies	Citizens Bank
6	Detroit	Tigers	Comerica Park
7	Texas	Rangers	Choctaw Stadium
8	St Louis	Cardinals	New Busch
9	Milwaukee	Brewers	American Family Field
10	Chicago	White Sox	Guaranteed Rate
11	Los Angeles	Angels	Angel Stadium
12	Chicago	White Sox	Old Comiskey
13	San Diego	Padres	Jack Murphy
14	Pittsburgh	Pirates	Three Rivers
99	New York	Yankees	New Yankee Stadium
99	New York	Mets	Citi Field
99	Boston	Red Sox	Fenway Park
99	Cleveland	Guardians	Progressive Field
99	Oakland	A's	Colleseum
99	San Fran	Giants	AT+T
99	Colorado	Rockies	Coors Field

 

Where have you guys been and how would they rank?

[Tim]

Just remembered I've been to KC, too. Stick that at #9 behind New Busch and in front of Milwaukee.

[mul21]

I'll just do top 5 because I'm at 21 total and 5 of them are out of commission.

1. Wrigley

2. San Francisco

3. Camden Yards

4. PNC

5. Great American

Busch is such a generic structure, similar to Detroit for me.  I don't dislike them but they aren't exceptional in any way.  If you haven't been to Kauffman since it was remodeled, it's a completely different park now.  I'd rate Miller ahead of both of those.

[Tim]

2 minutes ago, mul21 said:

I'll just do top 5 because I'm at 21 total and 5 of them are out of commission.

1. Wrigley

2. San Francisco

3. Camden Yards

4. PNC

5. Great American

Busch is such a generic structure, similar to Detroit for me.  I don't dislike them but they aren't exceptional in any way.  If you haven't been to Kauffman since it was remodeled, it's a completely different park now.  I'd rate Miller ahead of both of those.

For me, my top four are clearly better than what comes after. Philly is clearly better than the pretty generic stadiums that follow.

I think the year I was at Kauffman was 2008 or so. Can't quite remember when I had a contract there.

[CubinNY]

Wrigley is great depending on where you are sitting. For that reason, I wouldn't rate it high on the list of parks. If you're sitting under the grandstands it's not particularly great or even good in some spots. I was so excited to go to Fenway last year. When I got there it was cramped, ugly, and outdated. In terms of renovations, Wrigley blows it away. Pittsburg is far and away the best park that I've been to for several reasons. I like the Phillies' new park, Coors Field, and San Diego too. Whatever they are calling where the WS play is good, much better since they did the renovations. I didn't care for Detroit or Atlanta's new place. 

[Transmogrified Tiger]

I haven't been to as many as I would've guessed, though I'm not including Riverfront and Three Rivers since I was so young I don't have much memory.  It's easier for me to do tiers (year last visited in parentheses):

 

Tier 1: Wrigley (2022), Coors (2019), Target Field (2018)

Tier 2: Rogers Centre (2017), Kauffman (2017)

Tier 3: Nationals Park (2014), Busch (2022), Progressive Field (2003), Guaranteed Rate (2014)

[Andy]

Only been to 3 for an MLB game and I'd probably rank them Wrigley, Guaranteed Rate, GABP. I had way better seats for the Guaranteed Rate game than the one at GABP so that might color my opinion some.

[Tim]

My perception of guaranteed rate is definitely impacted by the fact that I haven't been there since it was only 1-2 years old.

It was stupidly generic having been built one year before Camden changed everything.

[mul21]

40 minutes ago, Andy said:

Only been to 3 for an MLB game and I'd probably rank them Wrigley, Guaranteed Rate, GABP. I had way better seats for the Guaranteed Rate game than the one at GABP so that might color my opinion some.

The thing I liked most about GABP was the different spots you could grab a seat at around the stadium for different perspectives.  I bought RF bleacher seats but sat in center and right as well in spots designed for people to hang out in for a bit and then move on.  Fantastic sight lines too.  I haven't been to Comiskey probably since it was called Comiskey.

[UMFan83]

OK, here is my list.  I'm including past and present stadiums.  I grade them roughly like this:

Atmosphere - 60%

Aesthetic - 25%

Neighborhood/Misc - 15%

I don't care about food options or how easy it is to find a bathroom or whatever.  Just going off the level of enjoyment I had at the game and how nice the park was.  

1. Wrigley Field

2. Oracle Park

3. Fenway Park

4. Old Yankee Stadium

5. Camden Yards

6. Old Comiskey Park

7. Kauffman Stadium

8. Guaranteed Rate Field

9. Nationals Park

10. Chase Field

11. Miller Park

12. Great American Ballpark

13. Qualcomm Stadium (SD)

14. Angels Stadium

15. Metrodome

16. Olympic Stadium (could have been influenced by my 19 year old self being able to buy tons of cheap beer)

17. County Stadium (MIL)

18. Memorial Stadium (BAL)

 

There are also about 7-8 ballparks that I've literally walked around the perimeter of and peeked into the park but they weren't in town while I was, but I especially loved walking around Petco Park and Minute Maid Park, not as much Citizen Bank Park and Dodger Stadium (both surrounded by miles of parking lots)

[Ding Dong Johnson]

Tampa and Oakland rank in the upper triple digits. Just horrible experiences all around.