Note: You can find the 2023 edition right here.
It’s so nice to have baseball back.
This past offseason hasn’t been easy for baseball fans. The contentious, 99-day lockout nearly ate into the season and did result in a shortened spring training. But in the end, a deal did get done, which means we can all enjoy big-league games again.
The 2022 season is special because it’ll be the first time since 2019 that every stadium is open at full capacity for Opening Day. Baseball is at its best when there’s a full stadium of fans to enjoy it. So, it’s as good a time as ever to break out our For The Win MLB stadium rankings.
Going off the similar — and admittedly subjective — criteria of general atmosphere, design, location, amenities, food and character that we used in 2016 and 2020, we’ve arrived at an updated rankings of MLB ballparks to get ready for the 2022 baseball season.
Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
I’m not going to pile on the A’s here. They know their stadium is atrocious, and they may get a new ballpark one of these years. Maybe.
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
It’s a stadium with absolutely zero redeeming qualities. The location is a traffic nightmare. The food is abysmal. The catwalks interfere with play. I could go on forever. I hate this place.
Patrick Gorski-USA TODAY Sports
I can’t get over how the stadium could’ve had an epic skyline view if it was flipped around — quite the design flaw.
John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports
Not much has changed here. A world-class city like Toronto really should have a better stadium. Right now, there are some upgrades in the works, but that might not be enough to drastically improve this aging stadium.
Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Unfortunately, Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani are not stadiums.
Chris Pedota-USA TODAY Sports
The Yankees replaced the old Yankee Stadium with a soulless, corporate replica. It’s wild how $2.3 billion can buy you such a boring baseball venue.
(Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images)
It will always be Miller Park to me and you can’t convince me otherwise.
(Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images)
Chase Field was a state-of-the-art facility when it was built in 1998, but it has aged poorly — something the Diamondbacks ownership would be the first to admit. It’s too big, not conducive to major upgrades and feels like an airplane hangar when the roof is closed (which is for most of the season during the scorching Phoenix summers).
Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
Don’t let the corporate name distract you from the fact that The Outfield Dinger Machine needs to be brought back.
Detroit Free Press
See No. 20.
The Enquirer
Great American Ball Park is just an OK place to watch baseball. There are worse stadiums, but there are definitely better parks.
Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
It’s fine. Forgettable, but not particularly bad.
(Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)
Some $1.2 billion went into this stadium, and it’s been a dud. The exterior got roasted on Twitter, and when the roof is closed, it gets weirdly dark. New stadiums are usually nice, but Globe Life Field seems like a newer Chase Field. It could have been better.
Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
The Astros got rid of Tal’s Hill, which finally made this place seem like a baseball stadium instead of an obstacle course. About time.
Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports
In the first few years after the renovation, The K was solidly among baseball’s top 10. But the Truman Sports Complex location makes Kauffman Stadium feel so isolated compared to other big-league parks. The Royals are even exploring a move to downtown KC. Still a solid ballpark, though.
Scott Taetsch-USA TODAY Sports
A game at Nationals Park feels like a game at Citizens Bank Park but without the cheesesteaks, Philadelphia sports fans and Bryce Harper.
Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
While Citizens Bank Park lacks character and could benefit from a better location, it’s a fine stadium that has cheesesteaks. That makes it a top-half ballpark on its own.
Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports
We’re in that spot on the rankings where there hasn’t been much separation between the past four stadiums. They’re all decently new parks with solid offerings for fans. Busch Stadium is a modern version of the old Busch Stadium, and that’s totally fine. The view is phenomenal too.
(Photo by Michael Zarrilli/Getty Images)
Truist Park had some issues when it first opened — it seemed overly corporate, the lines were ridiculous, it looked like a modern Turner Field. But it’s growing on me, and The Battery district is becoming a model for teams across all of sports.
Scott Taetsch-USA TODAY Sports
I think it’s a bit overrated by Orioles fans. It’s a nice ballpark in a great location, and it inspired a ton of the newer parks across baseball. But Camden Yards itself could use some upgrades besides moving the left-field wall back. A new videoboard and more concourse amenities would be solid places to start.
Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports
Both the Mets and Yankees got new ballparks around the same time, and it’s almost hilarious how bad Yankee Stadium looks in comparison.
Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports
There’s something about watching baseball on a summer day in Seattle, it’s just great. T-Mobile Park has the views, location and weather, obviously. But the food and beer selection are also top notch. The stadium has aged wonderfully as well.
Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports
It’s been over a decade since Target Field opened, and it deservedly ranks among baseball’s best ballparks.
Paul Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports
Fenway Park is truly one of those bucket-list venues. It’s like a trip through baseball history. The Fenway–Kenmore neighborhood is all about the Red Sox, and while there are better stadiums in baseball, the nostalgia makes watching games at Fenway a special experience. Just avoid those obstructed-view seats.
Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
Location, views, beer, altitude and baseball. What’s not to like?
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
The fans have been known to show up late, but Dodger Stadium deserves plenty of credit for the perfect blend of old-school charm and modern upgrades like the outfield concourse. And any stadium that has a live mariachi band is automatically top 5. Dodger Dogs are the best hot dogs in baseball too — I stand by that statement.
Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports
The renovations to Wrigley Field weren’t without controversy, but the Cubs did a great job preserving the classic Wrigley experience while embracing much-needed modern upgrades.
Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
The stadium was brilliantly designed, and it boasts one of baseball’s most scenic backdrops. You have the Pittsburgh skyline right on top of you, and the amenities aren’t bad either. It helps distract you from the bad Pirates baseball being played.
Neville E. Guard-USA TODAY Sports
Going to a game at Oracle Park is an absolutely unique experience, and arguably no stadium utilizes its picturesque setting better. You’re right on the water, enjoying a baseball game in a stadium that smells like garlic fries. It doesn’t get much better.
(Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
STILL THE STADIUM CHAMPS.
Petco Park is simply the best place to watch a baseball game. The location (embedded in downtown San Diego), the weather, the food, the beer and, of course, the stadium itself — it’s all phenomenal. Petco Park often doesn’t get the credit it deserves when compared to the Fenways and Wrigleys of the baseball world. But don’t listen to those people. Petco Park is the best stadium in baseball.
