Voting is now underway in the Best of the Ballparks 2020 MiLB Triple-A fan vote, comprising International League and Pacific Coast League ballparks. So you know what to do: vote!
This is the top level of Minor League Baseball, and the level of the ballparks reflects that status. This is also traditionally a heated competition marked by heavy turnout and close votes; last year over 85,000 fans voted for their favorite Triple-A ballpark. We expect plenty of brackets being decided by very close votes, so rest assured your vote will matter.
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 Triple-A ballparks, combining International League and Pacific Coast League ballparks. This was an extremely difficult list to seed: This is the top level of Minor League Baseball, and the quality of the facilities reflects that standing. Honestly, there’s not a lot of difference between most of the ballparks in this competition, and there are plenty of arguments for most of these ballparks deserving a higher rating. New this year: Riverfront Stadium, new home of the Wichita Wind Surge (Pacific Coast League). The new Wichita ballpark came about after the move of the New Orleans Baby Cakes. As we have done throughout the 2020 competition, we have placed the new ballpark in the middle of the rankings. 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 Las Vegas Ballpark, home of the Pacific Coast League’s Las Vegas Aviators. We 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. This is by far the most difficult bracket to seed.
1. Las Vegas Ballpark (Las Vegas Aviators; PCL)
2. First Horizon Park (Nashville Sounds; PCL)
3. Victory Field (Indianapolis Indians; IL)
4. Truist Field (Charlotte Knights; IL)
5. Southwest University Park (El Paso Chihuahuas; PCL)
6. Huntington Park (Columbus Clippers; IL)
7. Durham Bulls Athletic Park (Durham Bulls; IL)
8. Louisville Slugger Field (Louisville Bats; IL)
9. Coca-Cola Park (Lehigh Valley IronPigs; IL)
10. Dell Diamond (Round Rock Express; PCL)
11. AutoZone Park (Memphis Redbirds; PCL)
12. Fifth Third Field (Toledo Mud Hens; IL)
13. Riverfront Stadium (Wichita Wind Surge; PCL)
14. Werner Park (Omaha Storm Chasers; PCL)
15. Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark (Oklahoma City Dodgers; PCL)
16. Sahlen Field (Buffalo Bisons; IL)
17. Cheney Stadium (Tacoma Rainiers; PCL)
18. Greater Nevada Field (Reno Aces; PCL)
19. Isotopes Park (Albuquerque Isotopes; PCL)
20. Smith’s Ballpark (Salt Lake Bees; PCL)
21. Frontier Field (Rochester Red Wings; IL)
22. NBT Bank Stadium (Syracuse Mets; IL)
23. Chukchansi Park (Fresno Grizzlies; PCL)
24. PNC Field (Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders; IL)
25. Sutter Health Park (Sacramento River Cats; PCL)
26. Coolray Field (Gwinnett Stripers; IL)
27. Principal Park (Iowa Cubs; PCL)
28. Harbor Park (Norfolk Tides; IL)
29. McCoy Stadium (Pawtucket Red Sox; IL)
30. Wolff Stadium (San Antonio Missions; PCL)
IL = International League
PCL = Pacific Coast League
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 2020 Triple-A vote:
First Round: Now through June 23, 3 p.m. C
Second Round: June 23, 3 p.m. C through June 27, 3 p.m. C
Third Round: June 27, 3 p.m. C through July 1, 3 p.m. C
Semifinals Round: July 1, 3 p.m. C through July 6, 3 p.m.
Finals: July 6, 3 p.m. through end of day, July 10
Here’s our schedule for Best of the Ballparks 2020 vote:
Spring Training: Completed (winners: Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium and Salt River Fields)
Low A: Now-June 19
High A: Now-June 22
Class AA: Now-July 8
Class AAA: Now-July 10
Short Season A/Rookie: June 22-July 17
Independent: June 24-July 16
Summer Collegiate: June 29-July 20
MLB: TBD
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.