MLB’s best playoff ballparks: Ranking the most raucous places from replaceable to Phanatical

By Chad Jennings, C. Trent Rosecrans and Stephen J. Nesbitt

In one American League Wild Card Series, the entire factor turned on a play designed round crowd noise. It was too loud at Target Field, Twins shortstop Carlos Correa realized, for the third-base coach to warn Blue Jays baserunners a couple of creating pickoff play. The Twins used the noise to their benefit, picked off Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and secured a two-game sweep.

In the different AL Wild Card Series, empty seats have been all over the place. The Rays are a wonderful crew that thrives on their underdog standing — low payroll, injured gamers, they all the time discover a manner — however enjoying in entrance of two of the smallest postseason crowds in the previous 100 years, the Rays have been swept by a Rangers crew that had 9 fewer wins in the common season. The indifference was deafening.

Home-field benefit, it seems, simply isn’t the similar from one ballpark to the subsequent.

“To be honest with you, I think we have one of the best home-field advantages in baseball,” third baseman Alec Bohm mentioned as the Phillies swept the Marlins to enhance to 24-11 in postseason video games at Citizens Bank Park. “People say it’s difficult to play here and things like that. I think going through that type of stuff and learning how to play here, that just makes this time of year that much better.”

This time of yr actually brings out the best, and the postseason’s biggest moments have a tendency to be punctuated by the crowds who witness and react in actual time. After seeing the manner crowds may reply — or not — to October baseball this week, The Athletic ranked the home-field environments of the eight remaining playoff groups, from the replaceable to the Phanatical.

Memorable postseason second: Game 7 of the 2001 World Series began with a pair of 20-game winners in Roger Clemens and Curt Schilling and ended with Hall of Famers on the mound: Mariano Rivera and Randy Johnson. In what’s remembered as one in all the biggest postseason video games of all time, Luis Gonzalez blooped a bases-loaded single to rating Jay Bell and deny the Yankees their fourth consecutive title.

Our take: We’re sorry, D-Backs followers. It’s not you. It’s them. A tremendously spectacular two-game sweep in Milwaukee carried the Diamondbacks right into a division collection showdown with, oh boy, the Dodgers. It’s not that we don’t suppose Arizona can beat L.A. at residence — the Diamondbacks cut up six video games in opposition to the Dodgers at Chase Field this season — nevertheless it’s lower than a seven-hour drive from Dodger Stadium to downtown Phoenix, and we’re involved that each one the quirks of that ballpark could possibly be rendered meaningless if there’s a bunch of Dodgers blue in the crowd.

There’s lots to like. The pool. The retractable roof. We adore it. We hope you show us mistaken. Show up, go nuts, and go away a remark — click on to subscribe! — telling us we don’t know a rattlesnake from a water moccasin. We deserve it.

But if we had to go on the highway for a playoff sport, at the very least on this spherical, we’d select your ballpark. Consider it a praise! Or perhaps we identical to the dry warmth.

Memorable postseason second: There have been 16 postseason video games in Globe Life Field historical past, however the Rangers have by no means appeared in a playoff sport at their new-ish residence. How did that occur? Well, 2020. It was a bizarre time. The Dodgers performed in all 16 of these throughout the 2020 expanded playoffs, sweeping the Padres in the NLDS, going seven video games with the Braves in the NLCS after which profitable the World Series.

Our take: This is the nice unknown. Globe Life Field opened in a season that had no followers, and it remained open for shedding seasons in 2021 and 2022. Saturday shall be our first take a look at the place when the residence crew is definitely enjoying significant baseball in October. Hard to rank it any increased till we all know what we’re coping with.

Largest crowd ever for a sport at Globe Life Field. #StraightUpTX pic.twitter.com/4I7NIB5eF8

— Chris Halicke (@ChrisHalicke) May 1, 2022

The previous Rangers ballpark may drum up a Texas-sized ambiance worthy of Stevie Ray Vaughan and Pat Green, however the new place — at the very least in the common season — feels very very similar to a multi-events area that occurs to be internet hosting a ballgame. Maybe that modifications in the playoffs? The Rangers haven’t been residence since Sept. 24 once they received their final 5 video games in Arlington, the final three of which went a good distance towards protecting the Mariners out of the postseason.

With a closed roof containing all the noise, Globe Life is certain to get awfully loud, and nothing turns a glorified conference middle into an actual ballpark fairly like a late-inning rally in October.

Memorable postseason second: For this, you’ve gotten to go all the manner again to Tuesday. The Twins snapped an 18-game postseason shedding streak with two blasts off the bat of rookie Royce Lewis. It was their first playoff win since Oct. 5, 2004. On Wednesday, they accomplished the Wild Card sweep of the Blue Jays for his or her first postseason collection win since 2002. The roars heard at Target Field, like this one, have been greater than 20 years in the making.

One of these 10,000 Rakes positively belongs to Royce Lewis. 💪 pic.twitter.com/3gRJp2i8eb

— MLB (@MLB) October 3, 2023

Our take: We have solely a small pattern of postseason video games at Target Field, however, boy, Twins followers could make some noise. After Game 1 in opposition to Toronto, Twins supervisor Rocco Baldelli mentioned, “I thought the place was going to split open and melt, honestly. It was out of this universe out there on the field. The fans took over the game. They helped us win today.” The subsequent day, they did it once more.

Early in Game 2, Correa advised Sonny Gray that, due to the crowd noise, Jays baserunners couldn’t hear their third-base coach screaming, “BACK!” So, with Guerrero on second and a full rely to Bo Bichette, they executed an ideal timing decide. “The crowd was incredible,” Gray mentioned after the sport. “They were incredible yesterday. They were incredible today from the moment I stepped on the mound an hour before the game to the moment — they’re probably still out there.”

Twins clinching and this crowd was electrical #WeBelieveinTC #Postseason pic.twitter.com/kBol9H9Nx7

— LukeWarmPlays (@LukeWarmPlays) October 5, 2023

So, Twins followers have swarmed their crew with help. But is it intimidating? (It’s actually higher than its predecessor, the Metrodome, nevertheless it doesn’t have the similar potential for overwhelming quantity.) For now, Target Field strikes us as extra of an superior place to play than one which strikes worry in the opponent. But this month Twins followers may show us very mistaken.

Memorable postseason second: Albert Pujols off Brad Lidge? Jorge Soler to the moon? Nah, we’ll go along with Chris Burke ending what was then the longest sport in MLB postseason historical past in each time (5 hours, 50 minutes) and innings (18) with a walk-off residence run with one out in the 18th inning in the 2005 NLDS. Burke didn’t begin the sport however pinch-ran for Lance Berkman in the tenth. Roger Clemens got here into the sport for Houston in the sixteenth and pitched three scoreless to decide up the win. But it’s Burke’s homer that may all the time be remembered.

Our take: We get it, Houston. We additionally suppose your ballpark ought to be in the high half of this listing. One of our writers known as it “the loudest stadium I’ve ever attended, by at least one standard deviation.” The Astros offered out the constructing 23 occasions this yr. They drew 3 million followers for the first time since 2007. Minute Maid Park is massive and loud, and visiting followers present up absolutely exhausted from strolling in the south Texas solar.

The last out from the crowd’s viewpoint. Wow. Congrats Astros!!! World Series champs once more!! #fortheH pic.twitter.com/HKnal8fcuB

— Sally MacDonald (@SallyMacFox26) November 6, 2022

But in all these sellouts, the Astros went 6-17. Despite all that noise, they have been 39-42 at residence. Before their last homestand, the crew added some inexperienced paint to the batter’s eye in response to participant complaints, and the Astros responded by going 1-5 with three of these losses coming in opposition to the Royals. So, sure, the ballpark is packed tighter than toes in a cowboy boot, and the place will get louder than a Pantera live performance in a concrete basement, however these Astros simply haven’t responded to it. Why not? Should a visiting crew actually be all that intimidated by it? Bring again the in-play flagpole atop Tal’s Hill, we are saying!

Memorable postseason second: When the Braves received the World Series in 1914, they have been nonetheless enjoying in Boston. In 1957, Milwaukee. When Sid Bream slid residence to beat the Pirates in 1992, the Braves have been in the proper metropolis however at the mistaken ballpark (Fulton County Stadium doesn’t rely). The Max Fried-Jorge Soler sport in 2021 occurred in Houston. The iconic second at Truist Park could possibly be Eddie Rosario’s dazzling catch at the wall in Game 4 of the 2021 World Series, however the most memorable — despite the fact that it didn’t lead to a championship — is perhaps rookie Ronald Acuna Jr. hitting a grand slam off Walker Buhler in Game 3 of the 2018 NLDS, which occurred to be the first postseason sport ever performed at the ballpark.

Our take: Obviously, there are points larger than baseball to take care of right here. The warfare chant and Tomahawk Chop are offensive and problematic, however we’re not going to resolve that situation in the subsequent 4 weeks. In truth, it’s all about to come entrance and middle — once more — as the best crew in baseball opens its postseason with a roster that may be a lot intimidating in a Little League park with metallic bleachers.

But have you ever ever seen them play in entrance of 40,000 screaming followers when the stadium lights go darkish and the total ballpark begins doing the Chop in unison with their lit cell telephones?

“It does add something to the offensive ambiance,” our Braves scribe David O’Brien famous.

BRAVES WIN the WORLD SERIES and @TruistPark goes CRAZY #Braves #MLB #WorldSeries pic.twitter.com/YwRBCBTs4F

— Tom Haynes (@TomHaynesFox5) November 3, 2021

Truist Park had 54 sellouts this season, and the place drew simply over 3.19 million, which was the Braves’ highest whole attendance since the park previously often known as SunTrust opened in 2017.

The Braves have received six straight division titles, and so they’ve been to the playoffs 22 occasions since 1991. This just isn’t uncharted territory for them. This ballpark goes to be full of followers who know their crew is sweet and won’t be quiet about it, no matter what anybody else thinks.

Memorable postseason second: Delmon Young’s three-run double in the eighth inning of Game 2 of the 2014 ALDS accomplished the Orioles’ comeback from three runs down in the eighth  to beat the Tigers. Zack Britton pitched an ideal ninth, and the Orioles would go on to beat the Tigers in Game 3 in Detroit to sweep the collection earlier than shedding to the Royals in the ALCS.

Our take: When the Orioles are unhealthy, their ballpark is unhealthy. Beautiful and unmistakable, however unhealthy due to the empty seats and since it’s principally a second residence ballpark for each East Coast crew that takes the prepare into Baltimore and overwhelms the place with their very own variation of the “Let’s go, Yankees” chant. It’s a ballpark that may be, and has been, taken over by opposing followers.

When the Orioles are good, although, Camden Yards is one in all the best ballparks in the nation, and it begins pregame with each rendition of the nationwide anthem that features the total ballpark screaming “O!” in unison, so loud that it drowns out the phrase “say” earlier than the hope-they’re-ready-for-it singer will get to the phrases, “does that star-spangled banner yet wave.”

The last evening sport of the 2023 common season at Camden Yards pic.twitter.com/ALgqhoJVp6

— Andy Kostka (@afkostka) September 30, 2023

As you’ve little doubt realized, the Orioles are awfully good this yr, and we count on Camden Yards to comply with their lead. The O’s had the second-most wins in baseball, and their followers responded with a house attendance that jumped greater than a half million from final season. A younger Orioles roster is perhaps vulnerable to being shell-shocked on the highway, however at residence, this crew goes to be handled as heroes from the begin.

“Go crazy, Baltimore. You are the champions of the American League East.”

Kevin Brown on the name as the Orioles clinch the American League East and the No. 1 seed in the American League. pic.twitter.com/Q2eXPe4uYL

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) September 29, 2023

Let’s simply hope, once they go on the highway, supervisor Brandon Hyde doesn’t neglect to use his best reliever in a must-win sport. That could possibly be fairly unhealthy.

Memorable postseason second: With two outs and a runner on in the ninth inning of Game 1 of the 1988 World Series, Kirk Gibson hobbled towards residence plate and stepped in in opposition to Hall of Fame A’s nearer Dennis Eckersley. The Dodgers have been down one and down to their final out. Gibson had an injured left hamstring and a balky proper knee. He fouled off Eckersley’s first providing and nearly fell over. He fouled off a pair extra and labored the rely full. Then he pulled an out of doors pitch into the right-field seats for a walk-off homer and, someway, made his manner round the bases. It stays one in all the most badass moments in World Series historical past.

Our take: All the jokes about site visitors nonetheless making its manner into the parking zone in the second inning are justified. The “intensity” of baseball in L.A. isn’t the similar as it’s in, say, St. Louis or Boston or some other metropolis the place athletes are the largest celebrities on the town.

But by the center innings, Dodger Stadium is packed, and by the late innings of playoff video games, the place has the over-the-top depth of a Michael Bay automobile chase (Mookie Betts as Bumblebee). More than one opposing pitcher this season had to tweak his PitchCom system to take care of the late-inning noise that got here from such an enormous ballpark, one that when once more held the largest whole attendance in baseball this yr.

“You’ve got a four-deck stadium,” Freddie Freeman mentioned this summer season. “It’s the only one in baseball. You’ve got 50,000 people, every single night here. For them to go out of their way to make you feel good when you’re doing your job, it means a lot. I do appreciate it. It does make you feel good inside and also just means you’re doing your job pretty good.”

Speaking of doing a job fairly good, the Dodger Stadium D.J. is a maniac. For starters, the quantity is about at a stage that may’t presumably meet OSHA requirements, and past that, there’s some twisted need to have some type of noise blaring always. Plus, there’s the intimidation issue of enjoying in an iconic ballpark that appears like no different in baseball. Dodger Stadium is aware of what it’s and what it’s about, and it makes use of each little bit of that to its benefit.

Memorable postseason second: There have been three no-hitters in postseason historical past, and two have taken place at Citizens Bank Park. Those in Philly would love to neglect the Astros’ mixed no-hitter in Game 4 of final season’s World Series, so as an alternative we’ll think about Roy Halladay’s 2010 no-hitter in Game 1 of the NLDS in opposition to the Reds. In his first postseason begin, Halladay allowed just one baserunner, when Jay Bruce walked with two outs in the fifth inning.

Our take: Look, Philadelphia followers have thrown snowballs at Santa Claus and batteries at J.D. Drew. Their Phanatic mascot is iconic, however a part of his allure is the manner he – it? – taunts and antagonizes opponents. It’s an actual love-it or hate-it place to play. The Phillies and their followers are able to producing unforgettable moments, like Wednesday evening when Bryson Stott hit a grand slam and the ballpark offered the solely commentary needed.

stott grand slam w/ no commentators thx to ESPN’s dolby 5.1 combine pic.twitter.com/2vhUzWKpup

— jaiden (@steph_turkey) October 5, 2023

“I yelled at the dugout and couldn’t really hear myself,” Stott mentioned, “so I knew the crowd was loud. Any time we get to play here, you know it’s going to be loud from the very first pitch. I wouldn’t want to play anywhere else. It’s a phenomenal time every time we take the field here in the postseason.”

“I’ve always said it, we’ve got the best fans in baseball,” Bryce Harper added. “It’s an amazing place to play.”

(Top picture of Game 2 of the Wild Card collection between the Marlins and the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on Wednesday: Rob Tringali / MLB Photos through Getty Images)