MLB Ballparks Ranked by Age, Size and Prices

MLB ballparks ranked by age, size and prices originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

After a five-month wait, 30 Major League Baseball ballparks are set to open their gates across the country.

The 2023 MLB season begins on Thursday with Opening Day, one where every team will be in action. The occasion marks the beginning of a 162-game journey for each club as they begin the chase for the Commissioner’s Trophy. 

For fans attending games in person, each MLB ballpark offers something different. Some are nostalgic buildings with century-long histories, while others have much newer features. Prices also vary between stadiums, as do capacities.

Sorting the 30 MLB ballparks from best to worst is too subjective. However, there are other ways to categorize the stadiums.

Here are the oldest, biggest and most expensive ballparks in Major League Baseball.

What is the oldest MLB ballpark?

The oldest ballpark in Major League Baseball can be found in Boston. Fenway Park, home of the Red Sox, opened in 1912.

Wrigley Field, home of the Chicago Cubs, is the next-oldest MLB ballpark and will celebrate its 99-year anniversary in 2023. After Fenway and Wrigley, all other MLB venues opened in 1962 or later.

1. Fenway Park, Boston Red Sox: 1912
2. Wrigley Field, Chicago Cubs: 1914
3. Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles Dodgers: 1962
4. Angel Stadium, Los Angeles Angels: 1966
5. RingCentral Coliseum, Oakland A’s: 1968

What is the newest MLB ballpark?

MLB’s newest ballpark opened in 2020. Globe Life Park hosted three playoff series that postseason, including the World Series, but none of them featured the hometown Texas Rangers. It instead served as a neutral site for an NLDS series, the NLCS and the 2020 Fall Classic, where the Dodgers beat the Tampa Bay Rays in six games.

1. Globe Life Field, Texas Rangers: 2020
2. Truist Park, Atlanta Braves: 2017
3. loanDepot park, Miami Marlins: 2012
4. Target Field, Minnesota Twins: 2010
5. Yankee Stadium, New York Yankees/Citi Field, New York Mets: 2009

Which MLB ballpark has the biggest capacity?

The A’s play in the biggest MLB ballpark as far as capacity, beating out the Dodgers by fewer than 1,000 seats.

1. RingCentral Coliseum, Oakland A’s: 56,782
2. Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles Dodgers: 56,000
3. Coors Field, Colorado Rockies: 50,144
4. Rogers Centre, Toronto Blue Jays: 49,282
5. Chase Field, Arizona Diamondbacks: 48,405

Which MLB ballpark has the biggest average home attendance?

While they may not have the No. 1 biggest stadium by capacity, no team draws more people to the ballpark than the Dodgers. The club had an average attendance of over 47,000 in 2022, a considerable jump over the second-ranked St. Louis Cardinals.

1. Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles Dodgers: 47,672
2. Busch Stadium, St. Louis Cardinals: 40,994
3. Yankee Stadium, New York Yankees: 38,719
4. Truist Park, Atlanta Braves: 38,641
5. Petco Park, San Diego Padres: 36,882

Which MLB ballpark has the cheapest fan experience?

Team Marketing Report’s annual MLB Fan Cost Index (FCI) found that the Diamondbacks had the cheapest ballpark experience of any team in 2022. The FCI reflects how much it would cost to take a family of four to an MLB game, taking tickets, parking and concessions into consideration.

The D-backs’ $152.30 FCI is more than $30 cheaper than any other team and over $100 less than the MLB average ($256.41).

1. Chase Field, Arizona Diamondbacks: $152.30
2. loanDepot park, Miami Marlins: $186.06
3. Tropicana Field, Tampa Bay Rays: $192.02
4. PNC Park, Pittsburgh Pirates: $199.23
5. Oriole Park at Camden Yards, Baltimore Orioles: $203.06

Which MLB ballpark has the most expensive fan experience?

The most expensive fan experiences can be found in some of MLB’s biggest markets. The Red Sox lead the pack with an average cost of $385.37 for a family of four at Fenway Park.

1. Fenway Park, Boston Red Sox: $385.37
2. Wrigley Field, Chicago Cubs: $364.83
3. Minute Maid Park, Houston Astros: $354.72
4. Yankee Stadium, New York Yankees: $348.84
5. Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles Dodgers: $326.91