Petco Park is a top-tier stadium, but what do MLB players think?

Danielle Dawson
·2 min read
1

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — It’s no secret that baseball fans across the country consider Petco Park a top-tier stadium, but what do the players themselves think?

In a wide-ranging survey of over 100 major leaguers by MLB.com during spring training, San Diego was ranked as their favorite road city to visit during the season, followed by Chicago as No. 2 and Toronto as No. 3.

However, it was a “closer vote than most” for the top few spots on the list, MLB.com said, and no one reason was offered by players as to why America’s Finest City’s signature stadium was towards the top of their list.

Padres cancel FanFest due to weather

“The infield surface, the weather, the stadium, the atmosphere, the city — you can’t beat it,” said one unidentified National League third baseman of San Diego to the league publication.

Boston and New York — specifically Yankee Stadium — rounded out the top five favorite road cities, according to the survey.

Anaheim, Arlington, Atlanta, Baltimore, Cleveland, Denver, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, Milwaukee, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, San Francisco, Seattle, St. Louis, Tampa/St. Petersburg and Washington, D.C. all too received votes, but not enough to put them in the top five list.

Petco Park has been consistently named as one of the best ballparks in the U.S. by USA Today in their annual ranking. The San Diego Padres’ home turf has come in the No. 1 spot for the premier MLB stadium list in 2016, 2020, 2022, 2023 and 2024.

Budweiser launches Padres limited-edition MLB team beer can

Baseball will return to the downtown stadium next Thursday, March 28 with the Padres’ home opener against the San Francisco Giants. It will come a week after the team kicked off its 2024 season with a two-game series against the Dodgers in Seoul, Korea earlier this week.

Tickets for the first official home game of the season are practically sold out, although standing room in Gallagher Square is still available via Ticketmaster. There are also plenty of tickets left for the two exhibition games ahead of Thursday.

More information about the season’s schedule can be found on the Padres’ website here.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News.