We’re down to a Final Four in the 2019 Best of the Ballparks MiLB Double-A fan vote, with all three leagues still in contention. And with record-setting participation, you know what to do: Vote!
We have the reigning champ, Dunkin’ Donuts Park, home of the Hartford Yard Goats (Eastern League), in the finals, along with former champ Blue Wahoos Stadium, home of the Pensacola Blue Wahoos (Southern League). They’re joined by #21 seed Peoples Natural Gas Field (Eastern League), home of the Altoona Curve, and newcomer Hodgetown, home of the Amarillo Sod Poodles (Texas League). The top five vote-getters in the Elite Eight round (in order): Hodgetown, Dunkin’ Donuts Park, Whataburger Field, Peoples Natural Gas Field and Blue Wahoos Stadium. In the first three rounds 74,627 voters participated; that’s roughly double the number of voters in all of 2018 Double-A voting.
As we move up in the MiLB classification ladder, we’re also moving up in terms of the quality of the ballparks, and this year sees an even stronger lineup. This year sees a strong new contender in the field: Hodgetown, new home of the Amarillo Sod Poodles (Texas League), while other facilities are entertaining fans with plenty of 2019 upgrades. This is a fiercely contested classification, to be sure: almost as many fans voted in the first round than did in the entire Double-A vote in 2018.
We know from marketing stats that 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 — whom we consider to be the smartest folks in baseball — say about the best of the ballparks.
Here’s our ranking of Double-A ballparks, combining Eastern, Southern and Texas League ballparks. This was an extremely difficult list to seed, as there are plenty of great Double-A ballparks, and it took several days of thought and deliberation. Results of last year’s vote also played a part in our seedings, as well as improvements entering this season. Occupying the top spot is Dunkin’ Donuts Park, home of the Hartford Yard Goats (Eastern League), the winner of the Best of the Ballparks in 2017 and 2018 voting. We honestly don’t expect the voting to follow our seedings: our readers can be independent, and they share a love of ballparks and the fan experience.
1. Dunkin’ Donuts Park (Hartford Yard Goats; EL)
2. Blue Wahoos Stadium (Pensacola Blue Wahoos; SL)
3. Regions Field (Birmingham Barons; SL)
4. Dr Pepper Ballpark (Frisco RoughRiders; TL)
5. FirstEnergy Stadium (Reading Fightin Phils; EL)
6. Hodgetown (Amarillo Sod Poodles; TL)
7. Bragan Field at the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville (Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp; SL)
8. Smokies Stadium (Tennessee Smokies; SL)
9. Whataburger Field (Corpus Christi Hooks; TL)
10. Riverwalk Stadium (Montgomery Biscuits; SL)
11. Dickey-Stephens Park (Arkansas Travelers; TL)
12. Hadlock Field (Portland Sea Dogs; EL)
13. Hammons Field (Springfield Cardinals; TL)
14. ONEOK Field (Tulsa Drillers; TL)
15. ARM & HAMMER Park (Trenton Thunder; EL)
16. Canal Park (Akron RubberDucks; EL)
17. MGM Park (Biloxi Shuckers; SL)
18. Northeast Delta Dental Stadium (New Hampshire Fisher Cats; EL)
19. FNB Field (Harrisburg Senators; EL)
20. Arvest Ballpark (Northwest Arkansas Naturals; TL)
21. Peoples Natural Gas Field (Altoona Curve; EL)
22. Trustmark Park (Mississippi Braves; SL)
23. The Diamond (Richmond Flying Squirrels; EL)
24. UPMC Park (Erie SeaWolves; EL)
25. Security Bank Ballpark (Midland RockHounds; TL)
26. The Ballpark at Jackson (Jackson Generals; SL)
27. AT&T Field (Chattanooga Lookouts; SL)
28. NYSEG Stadium (Binghamton Rumble Ponies; EL)
29. Prince George’s Stadium (Bowie Baysox; EL)
30. Henry Aaron Stadium (Mobile BayBears; SL)
We are running the contest with seeded brackets, so there will be plenty of action in coming days. Here’s our schedule for the Best of the Ballparks 2019 Double-A vote:
First Round: Completed
Second Round: Completed
Third Round: Completed
Semifinals Round: Now through June 18, 3 p.m. Central
Finals: June 18, 3 p.m. Central through end of day, June 23
Here’s our schedule for Best of the Ballparks 2019 vote:
MLB: Completed
Low A: Completed (Fort Wayne TinCaps)
High A: Now-June 16
Class AA: Now-June 23
Class AAA: Now-June 30
Short Season A/Rookie: June 17-July 11
Independent: Now-July 9
Summer Collegiate: June 18-July 14
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.
