We know our readers well: we’re down to the Final Four in the 2019 MLB Best of the Ballparks fan vote, comprising the top four seeds in our rankings. So you know to do: Vote!
The top vote-getters in the Elite Eight round (in order): Wrigley Field, PNC Park, Oracle Park and Fenway Park. This sets up a Final Four matching the two oldest MLB parks versus two of the new breed of MLB ballparks. This year’s vote has been popular: more people voted in the first three rounds of the MLB competition than voted in all five rounds of the 2018 MLB fan vote.
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: Completed
Second Round: Completed
Third Round: Completed
Semifinals Round: Now 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: Now-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
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.