Brewers Creating "Truss Club" for 2027

(image courtesy of Brewers.com and Ramlow/Stein Architecture)

The Milwaukee Brewers finally gave their fans a peek behind the curtain last month and let us in on what all the secret construction has been going on at the stadium - a new premium club slated to open in 2027.  This doesn't seem like a real statistic, but supposedly the Brewers and A's are the only MLB teams that do not have a premium area tied to the seats behind home plate, so this is their proposed solution to that problem - think Champions Club in Minnesota, Lexus Club in Texas, Truist Club in Atlanta, etc.  The unique challenge in the Brewers' case is that there is obviously not enough room to add a 20,000 square foot space into an existing stadium, so this club will actually be an addition in the right field corner that is not directly attached to the area it serves.  This project will be the most significant exterior change to the stadium since it opened in 2001, and is being funded primarily by the contentious budget bill that passed in late 2023, which has vague language in it that requires the stadium district to fund projects that will "keep it within the top 25% of major league ballparks."

Putting the public money part aside for now, for the most part I'm a big fan of this project.  It's certainly needed and looks beautiful aside from the disgusting green brick, I don't understand that choice at all.  Yeah I get it's the Truss Club and the trusses are green...so just paint the steel green then and use a normal brick that exists in nature.  I like that the Brewers are making lemonade out of lemons with the outdoor space opportunity.  If they can't fit this thing inside the footprint of the stadium and these people have to walk from the club to their seats, then it should absolutely have outdoor seating and views as a trade-off, that was a good move to set them apart.  Upgrading the seats behind home plate as a part of this makes a ton of sense.  I also like the inclusion of valet parking and the private entrance, and I like that they are not replacing more seats inside the park with a group area like they have been over the years (although most have been very successful).  My major complaint is that it's only available for season ticket holders and regular people can't buy tickets here.  I'm not going to go so far as to say that it should be an all-fan access area, but they should set aside a certain amount of tickets for regular fans to splurge on these.  Erik and I have shifted our preferred sitting area slowly over the years from nosebleeds and bleachers to first level and premium clubs like this one, and it is a fantastic intimate way to experience a ballpark that you might only go to once in your life or very occasionally.  The Twins and now the Brewers are the only parks I can think of where only season ticket holders have access to their home plate clubs.  If they are going to use taxpayer dollars to fund this thing, then all taxpayers should have a chance to enjoy it.  I know a lot of season ticket holders are also complaining about basically either being forced into this option at double the cost or to change their seats they've had for 25 years, so I'm sure many everyday fans would welcome the chance to tap in and experience this club once in awhile.

The 2027 schedule was released during the All-Star Break and as of now it looks like the Brewers' home opener aligns with Easter weekend, so if by some miracle we don't have a lockout that impacts games, I hope to be able to find reasonable tickets on a third-party site for Opening Day.

STANDINGS AND UPCOMING SERIES AS OF 7/28/26:

Brewers 66-40, +6.0; 3 @ Giants, 3 @ Angels, 4 v. Pirates, 3 v. Twins

Twins 53-54, - 3.0, -1.0 WC; 3 v. Royals, 3 @ Mariners, 3 @ Royals, 3 @ Brewers

2026 GAMES ATTENDED:

Erik - 7

Peter - 22

Tour 2026: MLB Homerun Derby & All-Star Workout Day

All photos of Philadelphia, All-Star Village, All-Star Workout Day, and Homerun Derby available on Flickr.

Monday was the jewel event of All-Star Week: the Homerun Derby.  Gates didn't open until 5pm, so we had some time to kill.  We started our day at the All-Star Village back at the convention center.  It was nearly identical to the Fan Fest we went to 12 years ago in Minneapolis and had many of the same features: the "world's largest baseball" to greet you when you walked in, giant team store (from which we refrained significantly more than in 2014), baseball-related activities, baseball exhibits, a Topps Cards shop, player autograph sessions, and even the same S.Preston minimalist art gallery.  I remember meeting the artist at the Minneapolis fest just as he was starting out and talking through concepts and ideas for new prints, and now he's so successful that he didn't even show up to his own gallery - and I own several of his prints, including the County Stadium one I suggested to him.  We took some hacks at the batting cage just as we did in 2014, but sadly the 2026 version did not have an activation where you could race a virtual big leaguer.  I probably still would not be able to beat Bryce Harper 12 years later, but I'd like to believe my pants wouldn't have fallen down this time.  The other activation we participated in was softball speed pitch.  Let's just say I was not even close to approaching the 70mph these girls typically throw.  There were long lines for everything as expected, including the Monday morning Budweiser line.  It's a cool fest and it's nice to have something for visitors to do between events, but once you've seen one you've seen them all.  After a couple hours we'd seen everything we were interested in and walked across the street to Reading Terminal Market for lunch.  This market opened in 1893 under the former Reading Railroad Terminal (yes, the same Reading from Monopoly) and still operates today as one of the largest and oldest public markets in the country.  There had to be at least 100 vendors in there, and was mostly hot prepared food as opposed to the fresh farm goods and nonperishables type of market.  I finally got my much-anticipated cheesesteak here, and although it would not be considered authentic by Philadelphia's high standards, it was delicious.  Note to those visiting Philly: a real cheesesteak is just steak and cheez whiz, with or without onions ("Wiz Wit" or "Wiz Witout").  No other types of cheese, no peppers, nothing else.  After eating huge dense sandwiches in a hot stuffy market, we both needed to go lay down back at the hotel for a bit (getting old sucks).  We then had a couple of drinks at a pub called The Dandelion down the street, and before we knew it it was time to head down to the park.

We had significantly more time to explore CBP than we did on Sunday, and we did a couple of laps before heading up to our upper deck seats.  It's hard to remember what has changed since our last visit, but looking through old photos, it looks largely the same aside from the batter's eye ivy growing in fuller and obviously a new modern scoreboard.  Citizens Bank Park is an above-average ballpark and is pretty close to how I would lay one out if I was drawing one up from scratch.  The club we were in Sunday seems to be the biggest change in the years since 2007, so I'm grateful that Erik splurged for those seats.  Speaking of splurged, the tickets for the homerun derby cost more than I care to admit, but it was so worth it and All-Star Week is simply a must-do for any baseball fan at some point in their lives.  We were still full from Reading Market, so we spent the majority of our walking around focused on finding the "Liberty Bell Beers" that were supposedly available for All-Star Week, but we never found them nor saw anybody with them.  We filled that gaping void in our souls with ice cream helmets instead.  Erik devoured a decadent "Schwarbomb Sundae" which included a fried strawberry Uncrustable and topped with Fruity Pebbles, while I opted for a normal human amount of ice cream.  With our waist bands expanded, we made our way up to our seats and watched a couple hours of BP and pregame.  Our seats were basically the cheapest we could find but actually not bad at all, about halfway up in the 400 level directly behind home plate.  We had a great view of the Philly skyline from here that we could not really see in 2005 or '07 from the lower bowl.  Munetaka Murakami put on a show in batting practice and earned my pick to win the Derby.

Erik and I have never really cared for the All-Star Game itself and have always preferred the homerun derby.  Even when the ear-bleeding Chris Berman was on the mic for the old ESPN broadcasts, it was always what I looked forward to the most during the break.  It certainly feels like it has now become the jewel event of All-Star Week, and that is due in large part to it being an event that is made for television, with opportunities do to things with cameras and media and players that you just can't do during a normal game.  This was the first year the event was covered on Netflix, and by all indications, Erik and I got the better end of the stick being there in person.  One thing you can't adequately capture on TV is the crowd and the atmosphere.  Philly fans are notoriously harsh and difficult fans, and it was cool to see how invested they were in the exhibition, even if that meant booing everyone who was not a Phillie.  They even booed kids who dropped fly balls in the outfield.  Some of this I think is them just leaning into a stereotype a little bit, and we were more than happy to join in.  For as much as Philly fans will voice their displeasure with you, they are also the best fans in the league to have in your corner if you give them a moment to be proud of.  The roar of the sellout audience for Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber being introduced was deafening and emotional, and it made you want to cheer for them along with everyone else.  When I saw the home-plate shaped boxing ring set up at second base, I got so excited to hear that Rocky theme and see Sly Stallone saunter his way out, but that would be our second major disappointment of the day.  They opted for Philly's own Michael Buffer instead and it was still quite the spectacle.

Jordan Walker ended up winning the derby with an epic final round against hometown hero Kyle Schwarber.  MLB abandoned the timed rounds that have been in place since 2015 and changed the rules this year to closer mimic the old rules.  Batters had 20 swings in the first round and 15 in subsequent rounds.  For the final swing of each round, the pitchers switched to a magenta ball that could go on as long as batters kept homering on it.  It was clear that batters were not picking it up out of the hand and I think I can recall only one homer on the magenta ball.  This includes the final round, which Walker won controversially because for whatever reason, he did not see any magenta balls that round.  He was behind by 3 or 4 homers going into the final ball and ended up going on a hot streak to win.  Maybe they ran out of the magenta balls or maybe it was an honest mistake by the pitcher, but there is no such thing as an honest mistake on Philadelphia sports talk radio, and conspiracy theories abounded the next day.  As much as I hate to admit it, the most impressive individual round was by William Contreras' asshole brother Willson.  He cranked the longest homerun of the day at over 490' and posted the highest first round score with 13.  Contreras is probably accustomed to getting booed and used that as fuel rather than a distraction.  I'll give him credit though - at least he didn't charge the mound.  On Tuesday, he would become the first player in MLB history to participate in the All-Star Game while under active suspension.

This was the first trip I can recall in a long time where at least one of us didn't have to wake up at dawn to catch a flight, so we actually got a good night's sleep and parted our separate ways on Tuesday morning.  I know I say this every year, but I always leave these trips with a heavy sense of gratitude and joy that we still get to do these every year.  Most years I only get to see Erik once, so we always value our time together.  Next year's trip will be interesting with the impending lockout, but we've got a framework of an idea in the works.

park stats and rankings
(see original rankings from 07/14/07):
aesthetics - 7
views from park - 7
view to field - 8
surrounding area - increases to 4 (new Stateside Live! bar)
food variety - 9
nachos - 6
beer - 7
vendor price - 6 (new specialty All-Star items are pricy but regular items are fair)
ticket price - decreases to 5
atmosphere - 8 (Futures was a 6 and Derby was a 10)
walk to park - 2
parking price/proximity - 9
concourses - 9
team shop - 8
kids area - 8 (new category - includes Philly Phanatic climbing wall and mini playing field)

best food - Philly cheese steak from Tony's
most unique stadium feature - Liberty Bell
best jumbotron feature - Philadelphia trivia
best between-inning feature - Futures Game "Race to the Majors"

field dimensions - 329/401/330
attendance - 43863

HOMERUN DERBY PARTICIPANTS: 
Willson Contreras, Boston
Jordan Walker, St. Louis
Jac Caglianone, Kansas City
Munetaka Murakami, Chi White Sox
Ben Rice, NY Yankees
Junior Caminero, Tampa Bay
Kyle Schwarber, Philadelphia
Bryce Harper, Philadelphia

winner - Jordan Walker
score – 12-11 final round, 31 total
stadium - Citizens Bank Park

Royals Unveil Latest Downtown Stadium Plan

(image credit: Populous, Kansas City Royals, and MLB.com)

About a week after the Rays released a budget and renderings of their latest ballpark iteration, the Royals announced their latest plans to exit Kauffman Stadium before the end of their lease in 2030.  It's been a slow moving process ever since Jackson County's failed sales tax referendum in April 2024 ended hopes of a new park in the Crossroads District of Kansas City.  In the two years since, it's been mainly speculation and hearsay, with the Royals even reportedly purchasing some land on the former Sprint campus that was fueled by state-approved STAR Bonds in an attempt to lure the team across state lines to the Kansas side.  This power move worked in luring the NFL Chiefs, but the Royals had other plans and backed out.  If you'll allow me a baseball pun, their latest plan at Crown Center sort of came out of left field.  This project would be a joint partnership with Hallmark Cards - the KC-based company which is currently headquartered at the proposed site - who would be erecting a new building nearby and providing a good chunk of capital to the team as part of the deal (and I would hope naming rights and non-stop streaming Hallmark Christmas movies in the stadium as well).  This will be an interesting site to say the least, as a lot of it is on the National Register and will require a significant amount of demolition and infrastructure revisions, including the existing WWI Memorial and Museum.  The public contribution to this $3B project would be about one-third, as opposed to the 2024 Crossroads proposal that would have been over 50% public money.  As far as I can tell, the city and state money is already allocated in principle and would be set for formal approval pending all of the plan and lease agreements.  If all goes well, construction would begin on the ballpark and entertainment district next year with a targeted Opening Day 2030 opening.

The Royals situation is certainly unique compared to most of the other teams with ongoing stadium issues.  For instance, they are not in the same boat as the Brewers and D-Backs, who were both in desperate need of deferred maintenance - the Royals completed an extensive $250M renovation in 2009 and have had several other smaller ones since.  They're not in the same boat as the A's and Rays, whose stadium situations had become so untenable that they lived with the constant fear of becoming homeless in the last two decades - the 2009 renovation included a significant lease extension.  And they're also not in the same boat as the Angels and White Sox, who have floated threats to sell the team or leave at various points unless they get a new park - the Royals ownership group has made it clear they're not going anywhere.  A lot of people are comparing the Royals situation to what the Braves did, but I would even argue that those are not similar.  The Royals have a consensus top-10 ballpark in the league and are moving downtown, and the Braves had a very ordinary park at the time (Turner Field) and moved 20 miles outside of the city.  This is a one-of-a-kind situation, but we can say the one constant as with all new ballparks these days is looking to take advantage of the "Ballpark Village" concept.  The Royals have existed in purgatory since 1973, not really in the city and not close to anything, and surrounded only by a sea of parking with no room to grow or create additional revenue streams - sound familiar Brewers fans?  If the Crown Center stadium happens, it will be a fascinating story of revitalization and transformation for both the team and the city, and it will be a great case study for generations to come as to whether or not a sports stadium really does drive economic growth.

STANDINGS AND UPCOMING SERIES AS OF 5/18/26:

Brewers 26-18, -1.5, -- WC; 3 @ Cubs, 3 v. Dodgers

Twins 21-26, - 4.5, -1.5 WC; 3 v. Astros, 3 @ Red Sox

2026 GAMES ATTENDED:

Erik - 1
Peter - 5

Rays Return to the Trop Amidst Ongoing Stadium Debacle

(image credit: Tampa Bay Rays and MLB.com)

The Rays are finally back at Tropicana Field for the 2026 season and for at least the next 3 years, following an eventful 2025 season at which all of their home games were played at a minor league stadium of the rival Yankees, with a unique schedule that was frontloaded to avoid the rainy Florida summer months.  This was all necessary due to a year-plus long repair and remodeling project precipitated by a pair of hurricanes in October 2024.  The major component of this $60M project was of course the replacement of the roof that was almost entirely ripped off, with a fiberglass material designed to withstand Category 5 hurricane winds.  Other parts of the remodel also included complete replacement of the playing surface that was also destroyed by the hurricane, as well as some upgrades to suites and clubhouses.  Although the majority of this project was funded though insurance claims and out of obligation of the City of St. Petersburg as the building owner, it was nice to see the Rays kick in a little money to make the best of a bad situation and spruce up the dump a little bit.  With how long this new ballpark saga has been going on, who knows if and when the new park will even happen, so some fan and player upgrades were surely much appreciated.

This brings us to where we are today, which is not much different than where the team was 19 years ago when I started writing about them - in a never-ending quest for a new home.  The team did finalize a sale to a group led by a Jacksonville-based developer towards the end of last season, so getting Stu Sternberg out of there was not an insignificant step.  This move brought about a rejuvenated approach with an influx of capital that is causing the team to explore sites in Tampa once more.  For now, the team is settled on a site near the campus of Hillsborough Community College, which is ironically a stone's throw from where they played last year at Steinbrenner Field.  The location is great, with close proximity to the airport, interstate, and the bay, and should not possess the same access concerns as their current home.  But the sticking point, as it has always been for the last two decades, is going to be financing.  The initial budget for their latest proposal is a staggering $2.3B, and that budget is surely going up with each passing day of the Iran War.  The team is asking for over $1B of that sum in public money, and their goal is to gain all necessary approvals by June 1st of this year.  Preliminary indications are that that's not going to happen, which already puts in jeopardy the proposed 2029 opening.  The Rays want to build a "Battery" type village as is in vogue now, which they would finance and is not even included with the $2.3B price tag.  It's a far cry from their original Al Lang Stadium proposal that would have cost less than $500M in 2007 dollars, and it goes to show how much money the team and government is wasting with each passing year that they do not act on this.

I've written about the Rays more than just about any other team on this site aside from the Brewers, and frankly I'm getting tired of it.  Erik and I don't even really want to go to Florida and just want this to be over, but it's also kind of like watching a car crash on the freeway - you get mad at the gawker delays, but you can't help but be fascinated by the wreck yourself.  The Rays, the city, and the county all deserve to be in this tempestuous bed they've made together, and I'm watching with one eye open to see how this plays out, and the other eye closed out of exhaustion over the whole ordeal.  Meanwhile, new proposed ballparks from other teams are starting to pass the Rays by, which I'll get to in future posts this season.

STANDINGS AND UPCOMING SERIES AS OF 5/4/26:

Brewers 18-15; 3 @ Cardinals, 3 v. Yankees, 3 v. Padres, 3 @ Twins

Twins 15-20; 3 @ Nationals, 3 @ Guardians, 3 v. Marlins, 3 v. Brewers

2026 GAMES ATTENDED:

Erik - 1
Peter - 4

A Memorable Twins Home Opener

All photos of 2026 Twins Home Opener available on Flickr.

Megan and I continued our annual tradition/requirement of attending an MLB home opener when we made it to the Twins-Rays matinee in Minneapolis on Good Friday.  The weather was near identical to the home opener we attended last year - low 40s and overcast - but that was where the similarities ended.  First and foremost, the lineup the Twins trotted out there on Friday was a mere shell of the version we saw in 2025 that once held a lot of promise.  The Twins infamously sold off about half their team at the trade deadline last year, and in the process broke an MLB record for most players traded from an active roster in one week with 11.  This was clearly a cost-saving measure by the Pohlad family, who briefly entertained selling the team last year, but then quickly realized "hey, if we just get rid of all our long term contracts and spend nothing, we're going to pocket a lot of coin."  Yes, the Twins do have a lot of debt (or they did at the time), so it's fair to want to trim some fat, especially for a smaller market team not poised to make the playoffs.  But to lie to the fans and say they are still fielding a competitive team is just a big slap in the face.  Just call it a rebuild or "tanking" or however you want to phrase it and let's be adults about it.  There was a even an organized effort from a group to chant "POHLADS SUCK" during the 3rd inning of the game, which I think will be just the start of tensions boiling over for fans.  The announced attendance was just over 36,000 and I fully expect that to be the high water mark for the entire season.

Anybody who's been to a lot of MLB games knows that announced attendance is always way more than actual butts in the seats, and that could not have been more evident at this particular game due to the most memorable part of the day - a power outage at the stadium!  As Megan and I were walking out of the parking garage around 1:45pm, the lights went out.  We didn't think much of it at the time, as they were the old high pressure sodium variety of lights.  There was also a long line at the gate when we emerged from the parking garage, and again we didn't think anything of that because it's Opening Day.  But then after waiting for a few minutes and not moving an inch, the front gate staff alerted the crowd to what was going on.  Megan and I scoured Reddit and found that Xcel was estimating a restored service time of 3:15pm - which was after scheduled first pitch - so we promptly walked in the direction of the working street lights across the street and killed some time at an Irish pub, while all the other morons stood in a pointless line in the cold rain.  The outage lasted about an hour which pushed first pitch back an hour, and we finally got into the park a little after 3:00.  At first, we were pretty upset that the power went out just before we got inside, but in hindsight we were in a very fortunate window of time.  Had we arrived 5 minutes earlier, we would have been trapped inside the stadium with no power, no heat, no concessions, and no entertainment, with only Happy Hour hot dogs being given away for free to subside the angry mob.  And had we arrived 5 minutes later, we would have been stuck in miles of traffic unable to enter the parking garage.  So we ended up being pretty lucky and making the best of it, like we always do.  Once inside Target Field, the scene was quite reminiscent of a Covid-era supply chain log jam.  Waves of people stormed the gates and immediately made a bee-line for either a bathroom, food, or a beer, and the lines were all insane.  All of the $2 dogs were gone, and even though the $2 beer happy hour was extended to the 2nd inning, the lines were struggling to catch up the entire game and we were never able to procure one.  I didn't understand why a line for a stand that sold a single item for $2 went so slow, but I chose not to dwell on it.  It took us about a half hour to pee and get a beer and as a result, we weren't able to get our usual great spots by the Surfside Bar in left, but we did find a decent alternative in center field under some heat lamps, with a bar rail in front of us, and the smell of fried chicken wafting from behind us.  We settled out there for most of the game, and ended the last two innings in the Truly Deck in right field as an intense rain began to fall.

The power outage and the overall sentiment towards the team ownership both cast a palpable shadow over the day.  We tried not to let it dampen our mood, and the good part was it distracted us from the crummy Minnesota spring weather.  The bad part was that we were really looking forward to this happy hour that ended up being a dud.  You can't fault the team entirely for it (unless the Pohlads forgot to pay the electric bill), but power outage aside, the Twins were also clearly unprepared for the popularity of this promotion on the busiest day of the year.  We hope that by the time we return for another Friday happy hour game next month that they've got all of the kinks worked out.  Because of all the delays, we also didn't really get a ton of time to walk around the stadium and to look for the new featured concessions items.  We did wolf down some Buffalo Chicken Poutine in the 8th inning, which was divine, but other than that I did not see any of the other new featured items.  I did notice there were a few "value stands" added this year, which Erik and I saw implemented in Seattle and SF on our last couple trips, and these seem to be becoming a welcome trend.  Having stands where a family can get a "cheap" dog, soda, beer, or popcorn, and gouging everyone for the specialty items, is the right way to do it if I was running a team.  I appreciated this gesture along with the concept of the happy hour given how horrendous the team will be this year; both just need the details worked out a bit more to be successful.

Despite their best effort, the Twins did actually manage to win the game by a score of 10-4.  Bailey Ober got the start for the Twins, following a delegation of Minnesota Winter Olympians throwing out the ceremonial first pitches.  The former 12th round pick gave up 3 runs over 4 innings on the afternoon.  One of the few remaining stars on the team - Byron Buxton - went 0-3 and had his usual exit from injury, but returned to the lineup Sunday and seems like he'll be ok (for now).  Matt Wallner was 0-5 with 5 strikeouts, which I don't even know what that's called - a Platinum Sombrero?  The Twins were tied 3-3 heading into their half of the 7th and put up a 7-spot that was capped off by Tristan Gray's grand slam just over the wall in right.  Gray was a whisper away from being cut out of camp and even contemplated retirement, so it was a pretty great redemption story, even if just for the day.  Joe Boyle gave up 3 runs over 5.1 for the visiting Rays and took a no-decision in the loss.

On our way home, Megan and I toggled through some of our most memorable Opening Days, and given the circumstances, I think looking back this one will definitely be right up there for games we'll never forget.  In closing, I'm looking through my blog archives here, and it seems like I've somehow not updated my Target Field rankings since my very first visit in August 2010, so those are long overdue for a refresh and listed below.

park rankings and statistics

(see original rankings from 8/3/10):

aesthetics - 9
views from park - 8
view to field - 7
surrounding area - 8
food variety - 9
nachos - 8
beer - decreases to 6
vendor price - improves to 6 (added "value stands" and happy hours, but everything else still pricy)
ticket price - 8
atmosphere - 9
walk to park - 8
parking price/proximity - 6
concourses - 4
team shop - improves to 9 (one of the larger ones in MLB)

kids area - 4 (new category since last rankings - the area itself is kind of lame but it's a great location in entry plaza.  overall it's not a super kid friendly stadium)

best food - still the Tony O cuban pork sandwich!
most unique stadium feature - site, standing room areas
best jumbotron feature - the funniest player facts in the league

best between-inning feature - Race to Target Field with Minnesotan mascots

field dimensions - 339/403/328

starters - Joe Boyle (TB) v. Bailey Ober (MIN)
opponent - Tampa Bay Rays
time of game - 3:07 (0:57 delay)
attendance - 36042
score - 10-4 W

Brewers score that day - PPD

STANDINGS AND UPCOMING SERIES AS OF 4/6/26:

Brewers 7-2; 3 @ Red Sox, 3 v. Nationals, 3 v. Blue Jays, 3 @ Marlins

Twins 3-6; 4 v. Tigers, 3 @ Blue Jays, 3 v. Red Sox, 3 v. Reds

2026 GAMES ATTENDED:

Erik - 1
Peter - 1

Ballpark Rankings Update

It's been over 5 years since my last ballpark rankings update, so I figured it was time for a refresh.  My ballpark count now stands at 179 total, which includes 33 new ballparks (2 MLB) attended since my last update in 2020, keeping in mind that 2020 was the Covid season.  For purposes of these rankings, I am only including ballparks at which I have attended a game, and I have not factored in any renovations that I have not yet seen in person (for instance I have not been to Rogers Centre since all of the renovations have been completed).  I am also still considering Tropicana Field to be the permanent home of the Rays, since they will theoretically start playing there again in 2026.

MLB - subjective rankings [previous ranking]

1. PNC Park, Pittsburgh [1]
2. Oracle Park, San Francisco [9]
3. Target Field, Minnesota [2]
4. Fenway Park, Boston [4]
5. Camden Yards, Baltimore [5]
6. T-Mobile Park, Seattle [3]
7. Truist Park, Atlanta [6]
8. Comerica Park, Detroit [7]
9. Coors Field, Colorado [10]
10. Citi Field, NY Mets [8]
11. Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City [11]
12. Progressive Field, Cleveland [12]
13. Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia [14]
14. Wrigley Field, Chi Cubs [22]
15. Globe Life Field, Texas [NR]
16. American Family Field, Milwaukee [15]
17. Great American Ballpark, Cincinnati [13]
18. PETCO Park, San Diego [16]
19. Nationals Park, Washington [17]
20. Rogers Centre, Toronto [18]
21. Daikin Park, Houston [19]
22. LoanDepot Park, Miami [20]
23. Yankee Stadium II, NY Yankees [21]
24. Chase Field, Arizona [23]
25. Rate Field, Chi White Sox [24]
26. Dodger Stadium, LA Dodgers [25]
27. Busch Stadium III, St. Louis [26]
28. Sutter Health Park, Athletics [NR]
29. Angel Stadium, LA Angels [27]
30. Tropicana Field, Tampa Bay [29]

MLB - objective rankings (based on 1-10 system in 15 categories)

1. PNC Park (8.00)
2. Progressive Field (7.71)
3. Oracle Park (7.53) [6.86]
4. Camden Yards (7.43)
5. Target Field (7.36)
6. T-Mobile Park (7.21) [6.71]
7. Coors Field (7.21) [7.14]
8. Truist Park (7.14)
9. American Family Field (6.87) [7.07]
10. Comerica Park (6.86)
11. Daikin Park (6.79)
12. Fenway Park (6.71)
13. Citizens Bank Park (6.71)
14. PETCO Park (6.57)
15. Wrigley Field (6.50) [6.21]
16. Nationals Park (6.36)
17. Chase Field (6.36) [5.86]
18. Busch Stadium III (6.36)
19. Globe Life Field (6.20) [NR]
20. Kauffman Stadium (6.14)
21. Great American Ballpark (6.14)
22. Angel Stadium (6.07)
23. Rogers Centre (6.00)
24. Citi Field (5.86)
25. Rate Field (5.64)
26. Yankee Stadium II (5.57)
27. Sutter Health Park (5.27) [NR]
28. Tropicana Field (5.21)
29. LoanDepot Park (4.71)
30. Dodger Stadium (4.57)

Cactus League / Arizona Fall League rankings

1. Camelback Ranch (Cactus/AFL) [1]
2. Salt River Fields at Talking Stick (Cactus) [2]
3. Surprise Stadium (AFL) [NR]
4. Hohokam Stadium (Cactus) [3]
5. American Family Fields of Phoenix (Cactus) [NR]
6. Sloan Park (AFL) [NR]
7. Tempe Diablo Stadium (Cactus) [4]
8. Goodyear Ballpark (Cactus) [5]
9. Scottsdale Stadium (Cactus) [NR]
10. Peoria Sports Complex (AFL) [NR]

MiLB Top 10 (class)

1. Parkview Field, Fort Wayne (A+) [1]
2. CHS Field, St. Paul (AAA) [previously independent]
3. Louisville Slugger Field, Louisville (AAA) [2]
4. AutoZone Park, Memphis (AAA) [4]
5. Cheney Stadium, Tacoma (AAA) [NR]
6. Riders Field, Frisco (AA) [NR]
7. Modern Woodmen Park, Quad Cities IA (A+) [5]
8. Durham Bulls Athletic Park, Durham (AAA) [6]
9. Isotopes Park, Albuquerque (AAA) [7]
10. Truist Field, Charlotte (AAA) [9]

MiLB by League Top 5 (minimum 5 visited in league)
South Atlantic League (A+)

1. McCormick Field, Asheville
2. Maimonides Park, Brooklyn
3. Ripken Stadium, Aberdeen
4. Truist Stadium, Winston-Salem
5. Heritage Financial Park, Hudson Valley

Midwest League (A+)

1. Parkview Field
2. Modern Woodmen Park
3. Covelski Stadium, South Bend
4. Jackson Field, Lansing
5. Day Air Ballpark, Dayton

International League (AAA)

1. CHS Field
2. Louisville Slugger Field
3. AutoZone Park
4. Durham Bulls Athletic Park
5. Truist Field, Charlotte

Independent Top 5 (league)

1. Haymarket Park, Lincoln (American) [2]
2. Bosse Field, Evansville (Frontier) [3]
3. SIUH Community Park, Staten Island (Atlantic) [previously MiLB]
4. Arsenal BG Ballpark, Gateway IL (Frontier) [4]
5. Northwestern Medicine Field, Kane County IL (American) [previously MiLB]

Independent by League Top 5 (minimum 5 visited in league)
American Association

1. Haymarket Park
2. Northwestern Medicine Field
3. Newman Outdoor Field, Fargo-Moorhead
4. Impact Field, Chicago
5. Franklin Field, Milwaukee

Frontier League

1. Bosse Field
2. Arsenal BG Ballpark
3. Duly Health and Care Field, Joliet
4. Ozinga Field, Windy City
5. Joseph L. Bruno Stadium, Tri-City NY

NCAA / Summer Collegiate Top 10 (league)

1. Warner Park, Madison (Northwoods) [1]
2. Athletic Park, Wausau (Northwoods) [2]
3. Charles Schwab Field, Omaha (College WS/NCAA) [3]
4. Pioneer Park, Greeneville TN (Appalachian) [previously MiLB]
5. Carson Park, Eau Claire (Northwoods) [4]
6. Witter Field, Wisconsin Rapids (Northwoods) [NR]
7. UCCU Ballpark, Utah Valley (NCAA) [previously MiLB]
8. Becker Park, St. John's MN (NCAA) [NR]
9. Copeland Park, La Crosse (Northwoods) [NR]
10. Simmons Field, Kenosha (Northwoods) [NR]

Summer Collegiate by League Top 5 (minimum 5 visited in league)
Northwoods League

1. Warner Park
2. Athletic Park
3. Carson Park
4. Witter Field
5. Copeland Park

Amateur Top 5 (league)

1. Historic Grayson Stadium, Savannah (Banana Ball) [previously Summer Collegiate]
2. Wildwood Baseball Park, Sheboygan (NE Wisconsin)
3. Cold Spring Baseball Park, Cold Spring MN (MN Baseball Assoc.)
4. Laker Park, Lake Henry MN (MN Baseball Assoc.)
5. Martin Schmitt Memorial Park, Pearl Lake MN (MN Baseball Assoc.)

Amateur by League Top 5 (minimum 5 visited in league)
Minnesota Baseball Association

1. Cold Spring Baseball Park
2. Laker Park
3. Martin Schmitt Memorial Park
4. Roscoe Baseball Field, Roscoe
5. Eden Valley Baseball Park, Eden Valley

Ballpark Cities Top 20

1. Portland, OR [1]
2. Seattle, WA [2]
3. Memphis, TN [3]
4. Toronto, ON [4]
5. Boston, MA [5]
6. Savannah, GA [7]
7. Nashville, TN [8]
8. San Diego, CA [9]
9. Milwaukee, WI [10]
10. Victoria, BC [NR]
11. Cincinnati, OH [11]
12. Minneapolis, MN [12]
13. Washington, DC [13]
14. Duluth, MN [14]
15. San Francisco, CA [16]
16. Vancouver, BC [15]
17. Denver, CO [NR]
18. Sioux Falls, SD [NR]
19. Asheville, NC [17]
20. Portland, ME [NR]

STANDINGS AND UPCOMING SERIES AS OF 9/15/25:

Brewers 91-59, +5.5, clinched postseason; 3 v. Angels, 3 @ Cardinals, 3 @ Padres, 3 v. Reds

Twins 65-84, -19.5, eliminated; 3 v. Yankees, 3 v. 4 v. Guardians, 3 @ Rangers, 3 @ Phillies

Athletics 70-80, -12.0, 3 @ Red Sox, 3 @ Pirates, 3 v. Astros, 3 v. Royals

2025 GAMES ATTENDED:

Erik - 10
Peter - 29

Arizona Approves Funding for Chase Field Renovations

(photo from my visit to Chase Field for the 2023 World Series)

The Arizona Diamondbacks are currently in the process of selling off players to plan for their future, and they're planning for their future on the operations side as well.  Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs signed legislation last month that will unlock up to $500 million in funding for critical Chase Field infrastructure renovations.  These funds are being activated through an increasingly common mechanism in the sports world (including the new A's park), which is essentially a tax district that will capture all sales tax revenue generated by the stadium and a defined surrounding area, as well as "jock tax" revenue, and use that money to pay back the funds.  Not to get too much in the weeds here, but I think it's worth pointing out in today's political climate that the governor is a Democrat in a purple state and this bill received wide bipartisan support.  I mentioned in a post last year that the Diamondbacks are up against the end of their current lease approaching in 2027, and without these renovations, the team surely would have been forced to explore other stadium options.  So, regardless of what you might think of subsidizing sports venues, it was a wise move for Gov. Hobbs' reelection campaign to push for this bill to ensure the D-Backs did not leave Phoenix under her watch - this new source of funding will keep the Snakes in Phoenix through at least 2057.  Chase Field has been a boon to the urban core since the franchise's inception, particularly within the last few years following the team's World Series run in 2023.

I was at that World Series, and I vividly recall how much the stadium had barely seemed to change at all in the previous 16 years since I was first there in 2007.  The speaker system was a garbled mess, the jumbotron looked like it was well past its functional use, screens were pixelated and hard to read, and the air conditioning did not seem to be reaching to the upper deck where I sat.  By that point in 2023, the D-Backs had not even been able to safely open their roof for a couple of years while fans were inside.  All very similar problems that the Brewers faced recently, which also had to be rectified with state funding.  The Chase Field bill passed by the State of Arizona made it very clear that no money can be used for any aesthetic upgrades or fan suites, so if you factor in the $250M the team is also kicking in for that aspect, this stadium could look and feel very different in a few years.  Selfishly, I'm always sort of secretly hoping for new stadiums, but in the case of some teams like the D-Backs or the Blue Jays that have prime downtown real estate with an expensive obsolete roof, a renovation makes way more sense.  Despite the fact that I've been to Arizona for baseball more than just about any non-resident state, I may just have to return to see the renovations when they are complete.  It's a very exciting time in my world as a ballpark chaser, as all these chess pieces start to move with different teams, to think about how different the baseball stadium landscape might look in the next decade.

STANDINGS AND UPCOMING SERIES AS OF 7/31/25:

Brewers 64-44, +1.0, -- WC; 3 @ Nationals, 3 @ Braves, 3 v. Mets

Twins 51-57, -12.0, -5.5 WC; 3 @ Guardians, 3 @ Tigers, 3 v. Royals

Athletics 48-63, -15.0, -10.0 WC; 3 v. Diamondbacks, 3 @ Nationals, 3 @ Orioles

2025 GAMES ATTENDED:

Erik - 8
Peter - 24

Tampa Bay Rays Reportedly Being Sold

It was announced around the All-Star Break last week that Stu Sternberg, the current majority owner of the Tampa Bay Rays, had reached an agreement in principle to sell the team to a group led by Patrick Zalupski, a Florida developer.  Details are scarce at this point, other than the fact that the valuation is around $1.7 billion, and that the deal could be completed as soon as September.  It's worth noting that Sternberg originally purchased the Rays for "only" $200M in 2004.  One other important detail is that Zalupski is interested in keeping the team in the Tampa Bay region, despite being based out of Jacksonville, and surely that had some weight in Sternberg reportedly accepting his bid.  This all comes at a time when the Rays are in the middle of a playoff push in their temporary home at an A-ball park, and the team's immediate and long-term future homes are both severely in doubt.  The MLB schedule has been released around this time the last few years, and I suspect it hasn't been released for 2026 yet because nobody is certain whether or not Tropicana Field will be repaired in time for next season.

Let's for argument's sake say the sale does go through.  Even if that happens, this essentially resets the entire new ballpark process back pretty close to square one.  Which means that we're looking at probably minimum 5 years out for when the Rays could potentially be playing in a permanent new home.  The new ownership group could certainly build off the legwork of past site studies, government negotiations, and designs, but they are also reportedly only interested in covering 60% of the stadium cost, which will mean trying to resurrect old public financing deals or finding money elsewhere.  St. Petersburg says they're keeping the door open to the new ownership group, but I find it hard to believe that they'd open their ears and their wallets all over again, only this time in 2026 dollars.  The new ownership group reportedly does prefer Tampa to St. Pete, but the current ownership group has tried and failed so many times in Tampa that I can't see that happening unless there is a larger private financing chunk, or if new previously unvetted sites emerge.  Tampa is in a different county than St. Pete which further muddies the political aspect.  The biggest site contender for a ballpark in Tampa in the past is now slated to become a soccer stadium, so that would seem to be off the table.  I'm obviously not a real reporter and I'm not privy to the day-to-day conversations, so maybe things have changed on that front, and maybe Tampa is willing to loosen their purse strings since they were within a fingernail of the team building in St. Pete.  But purely as an outsider who's been following this story for 20 years, to say I'm skeptical is an understatement.  My money would be on Orlando swooping in.  They've demonstrated that they have substantial private backing and have an organized campaign to bring a team to the area.  I could see them partnering with Zalupski to make something happen there if he doesn't have the stomach for a multi-year process in Tampa Bay.  I'm honestly kind of surprised that Orlando didn't win a bid to land the Rays in the first place.  Orlando is only about 90 minutes from Tampa and roughly the same size and media market, so I think this would also satisfy Commissioner Manfred's desire to keep a team in this area.  I've been wrong many, many times before, but as of July 21st 2025, that is my guess.

As always, and as I say multiple times a year with the Rays - stay tuned.

STANDINGS AND UPCOMING SERIES AS OF 7/21/25:

Brewers 59-40, --, +5.0 WC; 3 @ Mariners, 3 v. Marlins, 3 v. Cubs

Twins 48-51, -11.5, -5.0 WC; 3 @ Dodgers, 3 v. Nationals, 3 v. Red Sox

Athletics 42-59, -16.0, -12.0 WC; 3 @ Rangers, 4 @ Astros, 3 v. Mariners

2025 GAMES ATTENDED:

Erik - 7
Peter - 23