October is upon us, meaning that it is time for postseason baseball. While the Major League Baseball playoffs should provide plenty of excitement on the field, the ballparks themselves are worthy of attention. As was the case in 2016, the slate of postseason ballparks in 2017 spans from the classic to the modern, making for a unique mix of facilities.
It was at Progressive Field that last year’s World Series concluded with the Chicago Cubs defeating the Cleveland Indians in a thrilling game seven. Both teams are in the playoffs again this year, and a World Series rematch would be intriguing for reasons beyond the action on the field. Wrigley Field is MLB’s second-oldest ballpark, and recent renovations have helped to assure its longterm viability, while upgrades at Progressive Field—one of the early ballparks to follow the retro design trend—have helped to enhance its game day experience.
However, even if just one, or neither, of those teams reaches the World Series, MLB could still end up with two strong hosts for the Fall Classic. In the American League, the Houston Astros will have home field advantage in the best-of-five Division Series against the Boston Red Sox. Minute Maid Park—which has a relatively deep history of postseason action in its 18 seasons—will be featured in the same series as Fenway Park, MLB’s oldest ballpark.
The Indians, meanwhile, will be facing the New York Yankees after the Bronx Bombers prevailed over the Minnesota Twins in Tuesday night’s American League Wild Card Game. This is the sixth time that the Yankees have reached the postseason since Yankee Stadium’s opening in 2009.
In the National League, the Cubs will square off against the Washington Nationals. Though its history is obviously nowhere near as extensive as Wrigley Field, Nationals Park will be hosting its fourth postseason series since opening in 2008. The ballpark is also set to host next year’s All-Star Game.
The Los Angeles Dodgers are the number one seed in the National League postseason, meaning that Dodger Stadium should see plenty of action. The Dodgers’ opponent in the Division Series will be the Arizona Diamondbacks, who defeated the Colorado Rockies in Wednesday’s National League Wild Card Game at Chase Field. Chase Field is hosting its first postseason action since 2011.
The action on the field will determine how the postseason plays out, but regardless, baseball fans will be treated to a strong slate of ballparks in October.
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