The best stadiums in Major League Baseball are easy to pick out. Fields with history that run through the stands or the state-of-the-art venues that are fan-friendly are the ones that spectators will flock to and mention as the best experience while watching a ball game. PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Wrigley Field in Chicago, and Fenway Park are always at the top in best stadiums in the MLB.
Then there are the stadiums that are an unpleasant experience for fans, in need of an upgrade, or just should be torn down in need of a total rebuild. Those stadiums make their attendance go down, make a franchise look for a city to relocate to, and have a player dreading lacing up their cleats for the team. Many stadiums have no issues but do not appeal to those in attendance or people watching from home.
Tropicana Field
The Tampa Bay Rays have needed a new home for a long time. Tropicana Field has been an eye-sore on the inside out. The stadium is not in a good location.
It is not in the city of Tampa. It is outside of Tampa in the city of St. Petersburg. An enclosed stadium with no retractable roof keeps out the Florida sunshine all season. The experience for fans is lackluster from artificial lighting, a lack of amenities, and a gloomy stadium
Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
Oakland Coliseum has been the home of Athletics since 1968. There have been very few updates since it opened for business and has not brought in fans in recent years.
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The Athletics became one of the worst teams in the majors in the past two seasons, with players leaving for greener pastures. The Athletics have discussed moving to Las Vegas in the last few years, following their former NFL counterpart, Las Vegas Raiders.
Rogers Centre
Long gone are the glory days of the Skydome, now known as the Rogers Centre. The World Series wins of 1992 and 1993, and heroics of Joe Carter brought in the fans for the Toronto Blue Jays.
Rogers Centre had its first retractable roof when it opened in 1989. The problem is that it was the first retractable roof and is state of the art 34 years ago. It needs an update, and it sounds like they will do renovations soon.
Guaranteed Rate Field
The Chicago White Sox stadium, known now as Guaranteed Rate Field, has gone through multiple name changes since opening in 1991.
It was originally named Comiskey Park until 2003, when it was renamed U.S. Cellular Field and had its name changed to the current name that it is today. The plainness of the park does not do itself any favors considering the Chicago Cubs on the other side of town have the iconic Wrigley Field to call home.
Chase Field
A top-of-the-line stadium when Chase Field opened in Arizona in 1998. The Diamondbacks stadium has not aged well, the retractable roof is no longer safe to open as cables broke within the ceiling.
The air conditioning within the stadium no longer works inside the indoor stadium. The scoreboard is also in need of repair. The stadium is not in an ideal location, and the aesthetics of no seating in the center field is a turnoff for spectators.
LoanDepot Park
Not even including the name, the Miami Marlins Stadium is a baseball park that the residents are not too fond of. Routinely having low attendance and few amenities around the stadium makes it a difficult sell to fans.
Even being near downtown does not seem to help LoanDepot Park feel like a must-see for Miami natives. Not to mention that the Marlins constantly lose or get rid of budding stars that could help drive up attendance.
Progressive Field
The seating at Progressive Field is due for an overhaul, and the concourse needs improvement. The scoreboard is the largest in the majors, but the functionality has been poor.
They have since updated it. Fan support has waned for the team even though the team has had playoff success. They are consistently below the League average in attendance. It is run-of-the-mill, Guardians stadium is not the worst on this list, just overall not impressive.
Angel Stadium
The fourth oldest stadium in Major League Baseball, the Angels have not done any renovations since the 90s.
It’s thought that the Angels will leave to go to a new city if renovations are not made, but the attendance is still high with superstars like Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani. Even with the teams’ they have not made the playoffs since 2014 and are likely not making the playoffs this year.
Comerica Park
Comerica Park is not a bad venue. It is just a plain stadium after needing a new stadium for years. Comerica Park opened in 2000.
The stadium is also a hard experience to watch a game in person during the early spring and late autumn months when the northern winds can start to affect the spectators viewing experience. The Detroit Tigers fans still flock to the stadium even though they have not made the playoffs since 2014.
American Family Field
The first issue with the Milwaukee Brewers stadium is the name. The former name Miller Park was an appropriate name for the Brewers. Yet, money made them change to American Family Field. It was a much-needed upgrade from their previous venue, County Stadium.
The field feels cavernous, as a spectator in attendance and watching on tv. It can be hard to watch because the retractable roof casts a shadow on the feel. The gameday experience for every home game makes up for any of the issues, as the tailgating in the parking lot rivals many NFL stadiums.
