Last month we shared with you our annual MLB ballpark rankings. This week we’re asking you to weigh in, as we launch our annual Best of the Ballparks fan vote for MLB ballparks.
You can read the results of our annual MLB ballpark rankings here. We used this list as the basis for seedings in the fan vote, as you can see below. As the winner of the 2018 fan vote, PNC Park (Pittsburgh Pirates) repeats as the top seed for the 2019 Best of the Ballparks fan vote. There are some fascinating matchups in this first round, particularly at the bottom of the brackets. Yes, there are four happy accidents in the final four votes, as the rankings yielded some rivalry matchups (Angel Stadium vs. Dodger Stadium, Oakland Coliseum vs. Oracle Park, Kauffman Stadium vs. Busch Stadium, Oriole Park vs. Nationals Park). And there’s a special battle of the breweries in the first round, where two MillerCoors-branded ballparks, Coors Field vs. Miller Park, are facing off. No, we didn’t plan the brackets to yield any rivalry matchups.
We know from marketing stats a third of our readers work in the baseball industry, so we’re tapping into that collective expertise. And we know from our research that a third of our readers sell to the baseball industry, so that expertise will be valuable as well. The remaining third—fans, media, government—will certainly have a different view on things as well. We can’t wait to see what our readers, who we consider to be the smartest folks in baseball, say about the best of the ballparks.
We are running the contest with seeded brackets, so there will be plenty of action in coming days. Here’s a breakdown of the voting schedule:
First Round: Now through 5/10, 3 p.m. Central
Second Round: 5/10, 3 p.m. Central through 5/15, 3 p.m. Central
Third Round: 5/15, 3 p.m. Central through 5/20, 3 p.m. Central
Semifinals Round: 5/20, 3 p.m. Central through 5/25, 3 p.m. Central
Final Round: 5/25, 3 p.m. Central through end of day 5/30
Here’s our schedule for Best of the Ballparks 2019 vote:
MLB: Now-May 27
Low A: May 15-June 9
High A: May 22-June 16
Class AA: May 29-June 23
Class AAA: June 4-June 30
Short Season A/Rookie: June 14-July 9
Independent: June 10-July 7
Summer Collegiate: June 17-July 12
Later this week we will email every full-season MiLB team about the votes; later this month we’ll contact Short Season A, Rookie, independent and summer collegiate teams about the votes.
Some things to note. First, you are allowed to vote multiple times, but you can only vote once per day. Second, you don’t need to fill out a full slate: partially filled lineups will count. A running tally of the vote will be presented. Signing up for the Ballpark Digest newsletter means you’ll receive regular updates on the votes.