30. Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum — Oakland Athletics
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This is the latest official name of what is simply known to those in Oakland, and around baseball, as the Coliseum. Pitchers love it because of the ample foul ground that will keep balls in play. While the club is doing its best to make it more fan friendly, the cavernous look and feel of the park that opened in the late 1960s is still an overall eye sore. 2024 will be Oakland’s last season playing in this outdated stadium — onto Vegas the A’s go.
29. Tropicana Field — Tampa Bay Rays
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The live ray tank at the park is a nice touch, but ‘The Trop’ is never full and a batted ball popped high up can still touch the roof or hanging wires. It’s easy to clear the fences down the line, an inviting aspect for hitters. Unfortunately, that’s about all ‘The Trop’ has going for it. In 2023, the Rays announced plans to build a new ballpark (thankfully).
28. Rogers Centre — Toronto Blue Jays
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An engineering marvel when it opened — with its retractable roof — in the late 1980s as the SkyDome, this stadium is pretty much past its due date. Though upgrades have been made, the field surface still has that enclosed-dome feel and the overall fan experience does not offer the same modern-day needs as other stadiums.
27. Angel Stadium of Anaheim — Los Angeles Angels
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Renovations and updates over the years have helped make ‘The Big A’ a slightly-more-than-serviceable stadium for the fan. The rock scenery in left-center field has been a nice touch and sight lines are quality enough. However, it’s still nothing special. As one of the oldest stadiums in baseball, we would think big changes are on the horizon.
26. Chase Field — Arizona Diamondbacks
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Like other retractable-roof parks that opened in the 1990s, Chase Field is showing its age — which still seems strange to say for a venue that opened in 1998 in time for the Diamondbacks inaugural expansion season. The pool in the outfield remains a cool amenity for those who can afford it. The tall wall in center field is also a unique addition, but we wish the D-Backs kept the path that used to go from the mound to home.
25. LoanDepot Park — Miami Marlins
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The big issue with this yard remains the fact that the Marlins are not able to get people to attend their games. The issues with the hitting backdrop have apparently been fixed, but problems with the concession process remain. The atmosphere would probably be high-quality when, or if, the Marlins put a consistent winner on the field.
24. Citi Field — New York Mets
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It’s often said the best thing about Citi Field is that it is not Shea Stadium. Perhaps that is a bit harsh. The Mets’ home park took some features from other yards on the list and rolled them into one. There is character and it’s no longer the canyon that hitters – specifically David Wright – felt like they were swinging in from its early days.
23. Guaranteed Rate Field — Chicago White Sox
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It should be known, the White Sox have gone to great lengths to renovate the early-90s cookie-cutter image of the ballpark to make it fun for fans. The food is great, parking is ample and there is not a better playing surface in the Majors thanks to the “Sodfather,” head groundskeeper Roger Bossard. Oh yeah, the ball will fly during the summer months.
22. T-Mobile Park — Seattle Mariners
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Another park that needed the fences to be moved closer to home plate (in 2013) because Mariners’ batters thought it was consistently too tough to go deep. It’s still a healthy 381-feet to right-center field, but in this day and age of the consistent home run ball, that’s not a big deal. Other than Seattle being a great city, the home of the Mariners just kind of blends in these days.
Image Source: Ballparks of Baseball
21. Progressive Field — Cleveland Guardians
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Cleveland gets knocked unfairly, and the Guardians’ home park is a solid place to see a game and hang out before and after. It’s right next door to the Cavaliers’ home arena, an easy walk to bars, restaurants and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. An open-air concourse in the outfield was a nice touch, and the park showed well as host of the 2019 All-Star Game.
20. Great American Ball Park — Cincinnati Reds
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Running along the Ohio River, the home of the Reds offers a quality scenic experience and the franchise continues to make the fan experience more pleasant for fans of all ages. On the field, it’s a long-ball hitter’s paradise and even the guys with warning-track power have a good chance of going yard – no matter the time of day or year.
19. Globe Life Field — Texas Rangers
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The new home of the Texas Rangers, Globe Life Field opened its doors during the 2020 season. While the outside of the building resembles a barn or a field house more than a baseball stadium, the amenities inside are pristine. The clubhouses are said to be the best in baseball. While the field played large throughout its inaugural season and limited home runs, MLB’s newest park made an immediate name for itself by hosting the World Series.
18. Citizens Bank Park — Philadelphia Phillies
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If one didn’t know what city they were in, it would be easy to confuse Citizens Bank for a handful of parks on this list. The Phillies’ home, however, can hold its own most of the time. Especially when enjoying a real Philly cheesesteak. The beer garden in the outfield is a nice touch and adds to the fun. Though the left-field fence was moved back years ago, it’s still a good place to hit.
17. Comerica Park — Detroit Tigers
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Before being traded away from the franchise, former Tiger Nicholas Castellanos called the park “a joke” because of its spacious dimensions. Comerica has a lot to offer for fans to enjoy, but it’s still a 420-foot shot to center field and 345 down the left-field line. So, even while the home run is prevalent in today’s game, it still takes something to clear the walls in Detroit.
16. Truist Park — Atlanta Braves
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Yes, the relatively new home of the Braves has received mostly positive reviews. Paying homage to the Braves’ legends and plenty of the great food and drink options help, but it’s still in a suburban location that’s being built around the ballpark. It’s nit-picky, but Truist is still roughly 20 minutes from downtown Atlanta.
15. Busch Stadium — St. Louis Cardinals
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St. Louis is a baseball city and there is plenty in and around the most recent version of Busch Stadium to appease any fan. The Ballpark Village is a great scene on game days and is something that adds to what always seems to be a fun experience at the yard when watching the Cardinals. Bravo, Red Birds.
14. Nationals Park — Washington Nationals
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The fact there is baseball in the nation’s capital is special in of itself, and it’s been even better with a modern park in the mix. Perhaps one of the biggest downfalls of the area housing the field is the amount of construction that has gone on around it. Overall, it’s a comfy park that plays relatively balanced to all fields.
13. Minute Maid Park — Houston Astros
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The case with the home of the Astros is one side or the other. Fans – and opposing players – either love it or hate it. It’s quite hitter-friendly down the lines, especially with the Crawford Boxes and the 19-foot wall in left. The days of Tal’s Hill and the flagpole in center field are gone, but it’s still over 400 feet to get one out to that part of the yard.
12. American Family Field — Milwaukee Brewers
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This might be the most underrated park in the baseball — on and off the field. It’s a relatively fair park in terms of the what’s offered to pitchers and hitters, alike. For the fan, it’s a real gem. It’s easy to get in and out, and a haven for tailgaters. Not to mention the “Bratchos” at the concession stands and Bernie the Brewer’s slide in left field. It’s too bad this park is no longer known as Miller Park.
11. Coors Field — Colorado Rockies
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A perfect example of a ballpark revitalizing a neighborhood. That’s what Coors has done for Denver’s LoDo area. The park is nearly 30 years old, but has managed to survive despite the thin air and the hell it can often put on pitchers — both home and away. However, hurlers are able to adapt to those factors and it still remains one of MLB’s gems.
10. Yankee Stadium — New York Yankees
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We know about the lavish amenities and the homer-happy right field through the years, but at the end of the day, it’s still the home of the most storied franchise in the history of American sports. Though it’s not the original, the aura and experience once inside is well part of the mystique and tradition of the Yankees.
9. Target Field — Minnesota Twins
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If the Metrodome was an eye sore, Target Field might as well be the Mona Lisa. Now, the park opens itself up to weather delays — which was never an issue in the dome — but it’s an all-around quality park. Target Field has solid views and fair dimensions, though the high right field wall makes left-handed power hitters do a little extra to get the ball out.
8. Petco Park — San Diego Padres
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There is a lot to love about Petco. From the views to the food to the grassy area in the outfield viewing area. However, for pitchers, it’s pure heaven. Though the fences have been brought closer to the plate and the walls even lowered in some spots, it’s still a solid place to pitch. And, an even better one to watch a game.
7. Oriole Park at Camden Yards — Baltimore Orioles
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The park is over 30 years old, yet it still is worthy of top-10 consideration. The adjacent warehouse in right field is as much of the stadium’s charm as anything else. One of the first “retro” ballparks, Camden Yards was the site of Cal Ripken Jr.’s record-setting 2,130th consecutive game played. When the Orioles are competitive, this ballpark is absolutely electric.
6. Kauffman Stadium — Kansas City Royals
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There a lot of ballparks that offer more modern amenities, but there is still plenty to cherish about this yard. Obviously, the fountains in the outfield offer perhaps the most beautiful backdrop in the Majors. The huge crown scoreboard/video board is also unique, and the immaculate playing surface rates high.
5. PNC Park — Pittsburgh Pirates
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This has become quite the fan-favorite over the years and tends to sit atop a lot of these lists. Walking across the visible Roberto Clemente bridge is something any fan taking in a game at PNC should do. While the upper-level seats are a tad high, the visuals are splendid and the dimensions are fair for both pitchers and hitters.
4. Dodger Stadium — Los Angeles Dodgers
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It’s often been said that watching a game at Dodger Stadium is a “classic baseball” experience (it is). It’s also a great park for pitchers – especially when the sun goes down. As of the end of the 2023 season, 13 no-hitters have been thrown at Chavez Ravine. Three by the legendary Sandy Koufax, one of which was a perfect game. Of course, perhaps the most memorable moment at the stadium came via Kirk Gibson’s dramatic game-winning home run in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series.
3. Oracle Park — San Francisco Giants
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Another park where scenic beauty is the highlight. The waterfront ballpark is a favorite for locals due to its accessibility via public transit. On the field, the wind is still an issue — but not like old Candlestick Park. The high wall in right field adds to the challenge even though it’s just over a 300-foot poke to get the ball out down the line. A must visit for any baseball fan.
2. Wrigley Field — Chicago Cubs
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Credit the Cubs’ brass for knowing upgrades for both players and fans needed to be made. The visitor’s clubhouse is far from desirable, but no longer considered nightmare status. Wrigley remains one of the most iconic venues in all of sports with the ivy-covered outfield wall, mostly-manual scoreboard and the seventh-inning stretch. Visiting the shrine at the corner of Clark and Addison is still worth the time.
1. Fenway Park — Boston Red Sox
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The oldest ballpark in the Majors is still the most iconic – and the best. Yes, some of the visuals and seats are not the most endearing for watching a game, but they are part of the charm. Along with the Green Monster, Pesky’s Pole and the closed-off street outside the park all make Fenway a bucket-list experience.