Adric at Opening Day 2025. Tokyo Dome. March 18, 2025. | Michael Elizondo / True Blue LA
Making the subjective objective for four years straight!
Unless you are new, you know the drill by now.
But for those who actually keep track of the annual update, when not writing long-form essays, I travel the world following the
Dodgers around.
I am up to two continents and three countries now. In my lifetime, I have been to 113 Dodger games in 27 different stadiums, 26 of which are MLB stadiums.
I have been to Oracle Park 23 times, most recently in 2023 — no wonder I am sick of it! I have visited Dodger Stadium 12 times, with the most recent game on September 15, 2021.
It is worth stating that this list is what I think are the best ballparks in Major League baseball, rather than where the best place is to watch a Dodger game. Moreover,
if you can get to Dodger Stadium regularly, then of course, the answer is to go to Dodger Stadium if you want to enjoy a Dodger game.
However, if you cannot get to Dodger Stadium regularly, read on.
You will likely notice some additional changes in this year’s list.
First, there are no more gaps due to stale information. Historically, there were some gaps in my knowledge of some National League East ballparks. There are no more, as all 26 ballparks have been visited as recently as 2021, and I can give you a fair assessment of everywhere I visit.
Second, the Guide exclusively studies MLB ballparks. Typically, I generate Guide entries upon the Dodgers' return to a place I have visited. For sporadic venues going forward, if there is interest, I can write my honest opinions of these venues that I am fortunate enough to visit.
Third, reordering and revisions. While the Sacramento Athletics have abandoned Oakland, the Coliseum still exists and merits a spot on this ranking. While the Athletics will be playing near my old law school alma mater, I have no desire to visit or rank Sutter Health Park on this list. It is a serviceable minor league ballpark. While I have resigned myself to attending whatever monstrosity is built on the Las Vegas strip in a few years, that ballpark will likely be the 31st major league ballpark to end up in the Guide.
On that note, while Tropicana Field is out of commission for the 2025 season (at least), its Guide entry will go live later this summer. As of this essay, the
Tampa Bay Rays will play baseball in Tampa through their remaining lease. If the team relocates to Nashville or elsewhere, we will revisit this issue.
If the stadium has a hyperlink, you can access the corresponding Guide entry.
The still-undisputed king of MLB ballparks.
Once the Guide is complete, barring illness or injury, I plan to return to this jewel by the Alleghany River every season for the rest of my life. Yes, this park is that good.
The
Dodgers visit PNC Park on September 2-4.
Michael Elizondo / True Blue LA
PNC Park. June 9, 2021.
- Pros: Just about everything, including food, views, tickets, and ease of access, usually a Dodgers win or a resurgent young Pirates’ squad.
- Cons: It’s only one series a year. The weather can be fickle (muggy, rainy).
Yes, Little Brother still has the best ballpark in the NL West. Petco Park is ranked highly nationally, but for good reason.
It is not the king of ballparks for a simple, solitary reason. PNC Park is significantly cheaper to visit for a Dodger game, even when you factor in travel to Pennsylvania. However, in a neutral setting, I could entertain arguments that Petco is the best ballpark in the country.
The Dodgers visit Petco Park on June 9-11 and August 22-24.
Michael Elizondo / True Blue LA
Petco Park. September 9, 2022.
- Pros: Imagine everything one would like about Dodger Stadium and make it better — which is an apt description of Petco Park.
- Cons: Padres fans can be extremely, extremely annoying; ticket prices are absurd (as there is no such thing as a cheap ticket to a Dodgers/Padres game at Petco)
3. T-Mobile Park — Seattle, WA
This ballpark floored me with its quality and user-friendliness and the relative bang for the buck it provides in its amenities, location, and food. The retractable roof generally renders the infamous Seattle rain impotent.
I could also entertain the argument that T-Mobile Park is the best ballpark in the country, if not for two factors: hotels near the ballpark are hellishly expensive, and the Dodgers only visit every
other year.
The Dodgers close out the 2025 regular season in Seattle on September 26-28.
Michael Elizondo / True Blue LA
T-Mobile Park. September 17, 2023.
- Pros: If you like a stadium that ticks many boxes and is fun to visit with interesting things to see and eat, you will likely find much to love about this ballpark.
- Cons: Good luck finding a decently-priced hotel near the ballpark or with access to the light rail. The Dodgers only visit every other year.
This ballpark is amazing if the weather cooperates, which is a mighty big if. Granted, you will be in Minneapolis, so by definition, the weather may not cooperate. Most folks will skip this ballpark due to its location, and they really should not.
Even at its worst (see freezing rain and snow, see Midwest humidity), it’s a top-five ballpark in the country, and essentially a “cousin” ballpark to PNC Park, as it was made by the same design team and with similar materials.
The Dodgers do not visit Target Field in 2025.
Michael Elizondo / True Blue LA
Target Field. April 13, 2022.
- Pros: It is quite underrated as a venue. It has great fans, great value, and the best customer service in the League.
- Cons: Heaven help you if the weather does not cooperate. Getting to and from the stadium is a pain. Not the greatest neighborhood by the ballpark for families.
5. Oriole Park at Camden Yards — Baltimore, MD
As the first retro-classic ballpark, Oriole Park at Camden Yards got a lot of things right about the experience, and you can see this stadium’s influence on half the parks in the league. It is not a perfect experience as the park is beginning to show its age, with its scoreboard and sound system.
As mentioned above, if you can navigate the logistical hurdles, you will likely have a great time at Camden Yards.
The Dodgers visit Oriole Park at Camden Yards on September 5-7.
Michael Elizondo / True Blue LA
Oriole Park at Camden Yards. July 18, 2023.
- Pros: Now a classic stadium. Great fans. Decent value and food.
- Cons: No tours. Getting to Baltimore is a hassle. Baltimore has gone through some hard times. Not as much value if you have not seen “The Wire.”
Do you still like witnessing and being surrounded by a perpetual inferiority complex?
Do I still have a place for you! (But in a neutral setting, Oracle Park is a very good park.)
The Dodgers visit Oracle Park on July 11-13 and September 12-14.
Michael Elizondo / True Blue LA
Oracle Park. September 4, 2021.
- Pros: Snark aside, it is a nice stadium. It is relatively easy to get to and from if you do not drive yourself. Even if you park yourself, it’s expensive, and you must navigate the considerable traffic when leaving the stadium, regardless of how you leave.
- Cons: It’s where the Giants play. Tickets cost an arm and a leg (and then some!) if the Dodgers are in town. It’s often cold and windy. Giants fans tend to be insufferable, especially when drunk, doubly so when the Dodgers win; triply so when the Dodgers lose.
It’s still Our Blue Heaven.
If we are being honest, assuming you live outside of Los Angeles, there are better stadiums to visit. Honestly, Dodger Stadium makes us as fans accept some things that I would not tolerate at other stadiums, and frankly, it’s not okay.
Still, the stadium is a bucket list destination for a Dodgers fan.
You have 69 more dates to pick from in the regular season to visit Dodger Stadium in 2025.
Michael Elizondo / True Blue LA
Dodger Stadium. November 1, 2024.
If you go to St. Louis to see a Dodgers game, you will likely have a good time. If you are going to St. Louis for literally any other reason, I don't know what you would do there.
This ballpark has the stadium and neighborhood model that baseball tries to emulate throughout the league. Here, the model is generally done right.
Going to a game here is visiting an oasis of baseball in the sea of blight that is St. Louis. Busch Stadium, version 3.0, is a draw that might not otherwise exist. The reason that the stadium has dropped on this list is that the area is starting to need some sprucing up, as affordable hotels have started to disappear by the ballpark, and the stadium is starting to show its age.
The Dodgers visit Busch Stadium 3 on June 6-8.
Michael Elizondo / True Blue LA
Busch Stadium. September 9, 2021.
- Pros: Lots of things directly by and in the ballpark. Food, views, and tickets are a relative bargain. Fans are knowledgeable too.
- Cons: Generally, the rest of St. Louis, which is a lot. The weather can get muggy. Hearing about the Cardinal Way ad nauseam can get grating.
Someday, I will get over May 2021. It’s still not today, though. It is one of the last jewel box stadiums in the Major Leagues, for better and worse. Compared with Fenway, Fenway has a better ballpark experience, but Wrigley has a better trip overall for reasons that will become obvious when the Fenway Guide goes live.
The Dodgers visit Wrigley Field on April 22 and 23.
Michael Elizondo / True Blue LA
Wrigley Field. June 26, 2024.
- Pros: It’s a bucket list destination. It’s a fun time for the most part. Something quite iconic about sitting in the sunshine with a Chicago Dog while the organ plays before the game.
- Cons: It’s a bit pricey for what you get, the weather often does not cooperate, and if you have a bad seat, it’s legitimately bad.
Truthfully, folks underrate the experience of going to Coors Field, and they really should not. I truly enjoy coming to this ballpark and believe you will too if you give it a chance. There is access to nature for those who like that sort of thing, and there are bars aplenty for those who like that sort of thing.
The Dodgers visit Coors Field on June 24-26 and August 18-21.
Michael Elizondo / True Blue LA
Coors Field. July 17, 2021.
- Pros: It’s a nice ballpark. It’s a fun ballpark. Where else can you eat bull testicles?
- Cons: Do you have problems with elevation? Logistical problems are the biggest hurdle to enjoying a game here, i.e. where did you book your hotel? Did you not leave for the ballpark early if you are staying outside of Denver? Did you pay a premium to stay in downtown Denver?
11. Fenway Park — Boston, MA
“Going to Fenway Park” is a phrase that will always sound foreign to my ear. However, it is a remarkable experience.
Why isn’t Fenway higher on the list? It costs far, far, far too much to go to the ballpark while staying in Boston. One could easily spend an entire
year’s travel budget at Fenway. That assessment was made before going to Japan, which made these costs seem almost quaint.
The Dodgers visit Fenway Park on July 25-27.
Michael Elizondo / True Blue LA
Fenway Park. August 27, 2023.
- Pros: It’s on baseball’s bucket list for a reason. Sitting atop the Monster is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
- Cons: Dear God, my wallet is still hurting, especially from lodging and ticket costs. These costs easily exceed playoff tickets at Dodger Stadium. In some places, the stadium lacks modern amenities, like aisles.
12. Progressive Field — Cleveland, OH
Cleveland rocks. Progressive Field is a fun place to visit. There is good food, good prices, and good crowds. Just pick a nearby hotel and walk to the Jake, which still persists as a stadium nickname. The Dodgers will visit every other year, which seems often enough.
If you want to explore elsewhere, you need a car. The Jake is undergoing renovations, and it should go online in 2024.
The Dodgers visit Progressive Field on May 26-28.
Michael Elizondo / True Blue LA
Progressive Field. August 23, 2023.
- Pros: Good mix of value and amenities for the effort required to visit.
- Cons: Some folks are hyper-critical of the ground crew (these people are wrong). If the weather does not cooperate, things get challenging in a hurry. The stadium is near a rough neighborhood. Ohio, generally.
13. Comerica Park — Detroit, MI
Comerica Park is in this rank of the Guide almost by accident. My trip to Detroit in 2024 was not successful by any reasonable definition, as the weather, hotels,
Detroit Tigers, and Dodgers refused to cooperate.
The stadium, its history, and its denizens stuck with me long after I left. It’s a solid ballpark that most Dodger fans will never visit, and frankly, that statement is a shame.
The Dodgers do not visit Comerica Park in 2025.
Michael Elizondo / True Blue LA
Comerica Park. July 14, 2024.
- Pros: Tickets are usually reasonable. The stadium has character. Nice mix of budget and luxury options.
- Cons: Logistical minefield to navigate, as getting to Detroit is a pain. Hotels downtown are the best option, while safe, they can be pricey. Finding shade in the summer is not optional.
American Family Field is one of those parks where you definitely get what you pay for. If you try to scrimp on the experience, you get what you pay for. If you allow yourself to enjoy yourself, you will have a grand time in Wisconsin.
The Dodgers visit American Family Field on July 7-9.
Michael Elizondo / True Blue LA
American Family Field. August 15, 2022.
- Pros: Traffic seems to flow rather efficiently here. Tickets are usually reasonable. Great staff. You get what you pay for.
- Cons: If you go super cheap on the experience, you get what you pay for. For the best results, you will need to rent a car. The Bernie’s Slide Experience will get you if you aren’t careful.
Easily the best-smelling tailgate in Major League Baseball.
This quirky baseball oasis serves as a counterpoint to the experience offered in St. Louis. While some would deride Kauffman as a jumped-up Triple-A stadium, it does have its own unique charm and character for residing in the second-smallest major league town by population (for now).
The Royals are attempting to move downtown, which is obnoxious, rather than build up the area around the ballpark. This entry of the Guide may become moot in a few years.
The Dodgers visit Kauffman Stadium on June 27-29.
Michael Elizondo / True Blue LA
Kauffman Stadium. August 13, 2022.
- Pros: Great sightlines, reasonable ticket prices, proximity to the Negro League Hall of Fame. You have plenty of access to barbecue in the region.
- Cons: The stadium is in the middle of nowhere, and the food at the ballpark is mediocre at best. If the weather does not cooperate, you must be prepared; otherwise, you will have a terrible time. Generally, you need to rent a car to visit.
Nationals Park is the baseball stadium equivalent of a ham and cheese sandwich - not great, not terrible. Sometimes all you want is a sandwich.
It is not a bad ballpark; it is not a good ballpark. It is logistically easy to go to a game in Washington, D.C., if you stay in the capital.
The stadium's prices, food, and location are in the middle of the bell curve. It would rank higher if it were closer. This ballpark is the easiest park to match up with other activities. If you want an excuse to spend a week in Washington, D.C., there are worse excuses than spending evenings at the Navy Yard and seeing historical sites during the day.
The Dodgers visited Nationals Park on April 7-9.
Michael Elizondo / True Blue LA
Nationals Park. April 25, 2024.
- Pros: Solid ballpark. Solid experience. Friendly staff through and through. Plenty of stuff to do in D.C.
- Cons: The weather can be unforgiving. Getting to the East Coast is a large ask for some fans.
Citi Field is
just fine — especially if you take the 7 subway line, and do not pay $40 for parking at the stadium if you can help it. But the entire time you visit, you will likely be thinking of the following two phrases with some justification:
- Am I technically a Lego minifigure in Steve Cohen’s lifesize model of Citi Field?
- Why is everything so expensive? I thought Papa Steve was a billionaire; you would imagine some savings would get passed down.
In a few ways, this ballpark reminds me of Dodger Stadium, not in a good way, as there is literally nothing to do by the ballpark. Still, there are worse reasons to visit New York City.
The Dodgers visit Citi Field on May 23-25.
Michael Elizondo / True Blue LA
Citi Field. July 16, 2023
- Pros: It’s fine. It’s fun. It’s a great excuse to visit New York if you have never been.
- Cons: Going to the stadium (including flights, lodging, and tickets) costs too much. There is not a lot to do by the ballpark. There’s no reason to stay in Queens, which necessitates a stay in Manhattan. The fans can be a bit much.
18. Rogers Centre — Toronto, Canada
Domed stadiums are hard to do right. If you do it wrong, you feel like you are in a perpetual state of cavernous now. If you do it right, the elements of the dome add to the atmosphere of the proceedings. Rogers Centre is a mixed bag.
Going to Rogers Centre is not as financially onerous as you might think. For its many faults, Rogers Centre has its charms and is actively being renovated. For as many times as
Toronto Blue Jays’ fans have just missed out on free agents, there is an undeniable charm to Toronto, which most Dodger fans should at least experience once.
The Dodgers do not visit Rogers Centre in 2025.
Michael Elizondo / True Blue LA
Rogers Centre. April 26, 2024.
- Pros: When the US dollar is strong, costs are lower than expected. The stadium has its own quirky charm, and the Marriott is an actual part of the stadium, which has to be seen to be believed.
- Cons: Going to Toronto is a pain from the West Coast. The lights inside the ballpark can be a bit irritating. Blue Jays’ fans can be surprisingly sensitive.
It is not a bad park, but it does feel like an aircraft hangar with the roof closed. If the choice is scorching heat or feeling like you got lost on the way to GenCon, I pick the latter. It might be worth coming back when I know the roof will be open.
Phoenix is a college town in every sense of the word, both good and bad. Plan accordingly.
The Dodgers visit Chase Field on May 8-11 and September 23-25.
Michael Elizondo / True Blue LA
Chase Field. May 28, 2022.
- Pros: Good starter park to travel to for the beginning traveler of Dodger games. It was a de facto Dodger Stadium East.
- Cons: Do you like being in the desert? Do you like dry heat? Did you forget sunscreen? Are you prepared to feel like you are trapped in a never-ending spring break while exploring Phoenix?
Honestly, imagine everything good about Dodger Stadium and then make it worse. Personally, the only draw to the Big A is sentimental. Specifically, I have friends from law school who are avid fans of the Angels, and meeting there is easier than meeting in the Bay Area or at Dodger Stadium.
The Dodgers visit Angel Stadium of Anaheim on August 11-13.
Michael Elizondo / True Blue LA
Angel Stadium. July 16, 2022.
- Pros: It’s by an Amtrak station, so it’s easy to get to and from. If one lived in Anaheim, the stadium would merit more attention.
- Cons: Imagine a bizarro Dodger Stadium, where everything bad is good and everything good is bad. Now, the Dodgers will play three games a year here, which pleases no one but Angels’ management. Then you get to watch a team that wasted two generational talents. Remind yourself that the Angels are (generally) charging you a mint to be there for a Dodger game. And even then, you can pay a mint, and things still weirdly feel cheap.
Great American Ballpark is like Skyline Chili, which one needs to try when visiting Cincinnati. It is not what I would call good, but it is food, so that is something. So goes Great American Ballpark.
Shade is your friend during day games. If possible, try to stay in Ohio; otherwise, you will need a car or the tolerance to withstand the weather while walking in from Kentucky. The ownership is still bad, but the Customer Service department on the backend is pretty good.
The Dodgers visit Great American Ballpark on July 28-30.
Michael Elizondo / True Blue LA
Great American Ballpark. September 18, 2021.
- Pros: It’s a nice stadium from the outside. Opening Day in Cincinnati is essentially a local holiday.
- Cons: Pretty much everything else. The ownership is cartoonishly bad. The food is enjoyable, mostly on an ironic level. If the weather is bad, forget it. The stadium layout is bad because they wanted more luxury boxes.
22. Tropicana Field — St. Petersburg, FL
Generally, Tropicana Field is a shabby dump. It is a nightmare to get to the region. It is a nightmare to get to the game. And yet once you are there, odds are you will have a good time. This stadium will likely perplex the heck out of the average traveler.
It would be easy to relegate this stadium to the bottom of this list. But there is a quirky charm that is hard to explain in a blurb such as this one. Going to a game here is quite memorable, for better or worse.
The Dodgers do not visit Tropicana Field in 2025, but do visit Tampa on August 1-3.
Michael Elizondo / True Blue LA
Tropicana Field. May 26, 2023.
- Pros: The stadium experience does quite a few things right. The fans are a passionate, if few-in-number, bunch.
- Cons: Just about everything else. Tropicana Field was wrecked by Hurricane Milton. From lodging and flight costs to the actual gameplay experience, to the logistics of actually getting to the ballpark. The Trop serves as an endurance test and an abstract experience rather than an enjoyable baseball experience.
If Atlanta stopped the racist chant or stopped the price gouging for regular-season Atlanta/Los Angeles games, this stadium would be in the top ten of this list. If Atlanta fixed
both problems, the stadium would be in my top five.
But they have not, and they likely will not.
The stadium’s Customer Service department is second to none, though. Atlanta’s model of being a commercial landlord is being copied throughout the league to its detriment.
The Dodgers visit Truist Park on May 2-4.
Michael Elizondo / True Blue LA
Truist Park. June 5, 2021
- Pros: It does have a neighborhood around it that the League seems to be emulating. The sightlines are nice. The ballpark itself is newer, and it shows.
- Cons: Objective racism. Usual, outright gouging of ticket prices for Dodgers/Atlanta games (if on a weekend). Watch from home - your conscience and wallet will thank you when watching the Cumberland Baseball Team.
24. loanDepot Park — Miami, FL
How can the newest ballpark in MLB be such an objective dump?
In theory, the ballpark would attract fans in South Florida. In actuality, it is a gaudy eyesore that is more famous for things other people have done, from the
World Baseball Classic to
Shohei Ohtani’s perfect day.
Finding positive things to say about this ballpark is genuinely hard, but it can be done. The tickets are relatively cheap when the Dodgers visit, but are inflated compared to normal Miami Marlins prices.
The Dodgers visit loanDepot Park on May 5-7.
Michael Elizondo / True Blue LA
loanDepot Park. September 18, 2024
- Pros: I never have to go back unless I want to.
- Cons: It’s a dump. The lighting inside actively irritates my eyes, so I was in physical pain for three games. Getting to the ballpark, staying at the ballpark, and doing things at the ballpark are all objectively bad and needlessly hard to do.
25. Guaranteed Rate Field — Chicago, IL
Woof. It’s the worst ballpark in active service in the majors, but getting to it is easy. The
Chicago White Sox fans are long-suffering but generally quite kind.
Imagine you went to the dentist, but somehow, there was a baseball game happening. That analogy best describes the physical sensation of going to Guaranteed Rate Field.
The Dodgers mercifully do not visit Guaranteed Rate Field in 2025.
Michael Elizondo / True Blue LA
Guaranteed Rate Field. June 24, 2024.
- Pros: You get what you pay for. A stadium with a dedicated public transit stop does deserve some praise.
- Cons: Just about everything else. The stadium is a decaying, unloved monument to Jerry Reinsdorf’s greed. I have never experienced such apathy radiating from a place.
The Oakland Coliseum endured a lot in its troubled history. The current ownership is a blight upon the game of baseball, and what has been done to relocate this farce masquerading as a team to Las Vegas, Nevada, is absolutely disgraceful.
The Athletics belong in Oakland. That statement said the Coliseum is a decaying sore in Oakland that was only enjoyable for ironic, devout, or historic reasons.
The Dodgers will likely never visit the Coliseum ever again.
Michael Elizondo / True Blue LA
Oakland Coliseum. June 18, 2023.
- Pros: Some of the best and most loyal fans in the Major Leagues. It’s great if you like a dive bar.
- Cons: The stadium experience is lousy if you hate a dive bar. Pretty much everything else. Friends do not let friends go to the Coliseum these days. MLB has abandoned the stadium.
Agree? Disagree? I am sure that you will tell me here or on social media. What stadiums have you been to? Where should I go next?
I make my own schedule, but if there is an outcry for me to go somewhere, I would be remiss if I did not listen. Four stadiums are left. In the coming months, I will publish my travel itinerary for the coming year as the road to 30 continues.