The Seattle Mariners home stadium of T-Mobile Park has been criticized several times throughout the offseason for the ballpark factors that make it difficult for hitters.
Between the marine layer in the team's home city of Seattle and the crooked batter's eye, there's a noticeable drop-off for hitters while batting at T-Mobile Park compared to on the road.
But it's still one of the better-built and beautiful stadiums in the league, at least according to one publication.
USA Today recently ranked all 28 major league ballparks according to "baseball travelers." The Tampa Bay Rays' Tropicana Field and the Athletics' Oakland Coliseum were slotted in the last two spots. This is due to Tropicana Field being rebuilt after being damaged in a hurricane and the Coliseum no longer housing the A's due to their location.
In the article, the Mariners' T-Mobile Park ranked ninth. The article had the following overview on the ballpark:
"This is a beautifully designed ballpark with tremendous concessions and gorgeous views. Even when the roof is closed on rainy days, it’s not claustrophobic, as the area above the left field stands remains open."
The eight stadiums ranked above T-Mobile Park were: PNC Park (Pittsburgh Pirates), Oracle Park (San Francisco Giants), Wrigley Field (Chicago Cubs), Camden Yards (Baltimore Orioles), Fenway Park (Boston Red Sox), Petco Park (San Diego Padres), Dodger Stadium (Los Angeles Dodgers) and Coors Field (Colorado Rockies).
Seattle's ballpark factor might skew in favor of pitchers rather than hitters. But based on pure experience, travelers clearly enjoy their time in the SODO-based stadium.
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