Eastern League Ballpark Rankings

Baseball’s Eastern League is at the Double-A level of Minor League Baseball and there are 12 teams located in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions of the U.S. I visited each one over ten years ago, but New Britain moving to Hartford brought me back to being just shy of completion for a little while. I usually like to give a new stadium/team five years or so to settle in and I checked off Dunkin’ Park in 2023. We’re now up-to-date with the League, at least until Richmond finally builds a new stadium. Using my Ranking System, let’s start by just straight up listing the ranking of each team and then break down the two best and two worst in each category.
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Overall Ballpark Rankings

1. Altoona Curve                                PNG Field (2008)                                          74.0
2. Harrisburg Senators                     FNB Field (2024)                                           69.5
3. Erie Seawolves                               UPMC Park (2013)                                        68.5
4. Portland Sea Dogs                        Hadlock Field (2009)                                     68.0
5. Akron RubberDucks                     Canal Park (2011)                                          67.0
6. Hartford Yard Goats                     Dunkin’ Park (2023)                                       66.0
7. Somerset Patriots                         TD Bank Ballpark (2023)                               65.5                         
8. Reading Fightin’ Phils                   FirstEnergy Stadium (2024)                         63.5
9. Richmond Flying Squirrels           The Diamond (2010)                                     62.5
10. Binghamton Rumble Ponies ……. Mirabito Stadium (2025)       ……………….     57.5
11. New Hampshire Fisher Cats   ..   Delta Dentist Stadium (2023)                         54.0
12. Bowie Bay Sox                                Prince George’s Stadium (2010)                    48.5

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Location

1.  Erie  –  A downtown spot with restaurants nearby. The lakefront is not too far away.

2.  Harrisburg  –  On an island with a few family activities and just across downtown via a historic pedestrian bridge. You can visit the State Capitol and find a decent restaurant not far from the stadium.

11. Somerset  –  If you need to stop at Target or Home Depot, this is the place for you!

12. Reading  –  There’s not much to see around the stadium, located a few miles north of downtown. Plus the city is kinda dumpy with only the Pagoda worth checking out. 

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Accessibility and Parking

1.  Altoona  –   Hardly any traffic and right off of I-99. Very convenient parking garage in left field.

2.  New Hampshire  –  Went from one of the worst, to one of the best just by adding a huge parking garage. Getting to and from I-293 helps make this a simple process.

11. Portland – Kind of confusing as to where to park. The hospital is a good option, just need a little research beforehand.

12. Hartford – The quality of the parking lots were terrible and unless you get here an hour early, you’re going to walk a long distance as the main lot fills fast. It’s also not easy to use the artery roads back to one of the interstates you need.

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Exterior

1.  Somerset  –  Though it screams “Mid-90s” with brick and kelly green siding, the place looks very nice on approach. Tall entranceway and team name inscribed into the building helps.

2.  Akron  –  Brick exterior with some cool light fixtures. Not totally blended in with downtown, but still a good look.

11. Richmond  –  Classic drab 80s architecture with a lot of concrete. Looks like a huge spaceship.

12. Hartford – It’s like the designers gave it an afterthought and said “eh, brick will do”. Drab intro doesn’t do the great inside justice.

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Concourse

1.  Altoona  –  Rare double-decker that is wonderfully decorated with team logos and railroad motifs.

2.  Harrisburg  –  This was part of the renovation that essentially made a new stadium. A 360 degree wrap-around includes cool bar-style seating in the outfield. Unique spaces below and behind the ballpark as well.

11. Binghamton  –  They at least make the most of what they have by decorating things nicely. Still, the concourse is underneath the seating with no field views. It’s also a hike up the stairs to reach the bowl.

12. Richmond  – Though there are two levels, both are enclosed and feature some long lines for food. It took me 15 minutes before the game just to get a burger

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Food

1.  Hartford  –  Bear’s BBQ was where I had a delicious meal before the game and I was pleased to see their presence at Dunkin’ Park with many of their options available. There are some other unique concession items available and the local beer scene is excellent.

.2.  Bowie  –  This was the only good thing about the stadium. Surprisingly decent variety and an excellent Chicken Sandwich Platter with coleslaw and beans.

11. Binghamton  –  The food isn’t bad…I just frown upon the city’s known food item: The Spiedie. I’ve tried my fair share and usually come away with the same impression: it’s dry and the sub needs more ‘stuff’.

12. Reading  –  Poor options and terrible quality. I had a burger that looked like it wouldn’t even pass in a school cafeteria. The French Fries had so much salt that I couldn’t eat much of them.

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Interior

1.  Erie  –  My favorite in all of the minor-league parks I have seen. Remarkably unique seating arrangement due to the tight city block. First-base upper seats are the best.

2.  Altoona  –  While the Roller Coaster beyond right-field gets all of the attention, the rest of the stadium is excellent. Love the rock formation spelling “Curve”.

11. Bowie  –  Did not like the gently sloped sections and many bleacher seats.

12. New Hampshire  –  Not a fan of single-level seating that features a small amount of rows wrapping around the ballpark. It is not intimate and leads to poor sightlines thanks to a gentle slope. Cheap ballpark too with the seating bowl placed on an aluminum base.

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Scoreboard

1.  Hartford  –  Probably the biggest at this point and the clarity is phenomenal. It did feel like there was too much stuff on it, making it tough to read and follow.

2.  Reading  – This is an ever-changing category that varies on who got the newest one. Being here in 2024 coincided with this debut and it was very well done.

11. Portland  –  The “Maine Monster” board is nice and all, but you would think that maybe it is time to remove the old, unused scoreboard instead of masking it with ads.

12. Bowie  –  Simple with an old-school design in left-center and a dated video screen in right-center.

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Displays

1.  Reading –  Lots of history with Reading and the tight concourse displays it unbelievably well with a plethora of historical team pictures, unique events and early timelines. So much is dedicated to the team and area veterans.

2.  Somerset  –  Neat touches on the outside and a wall panel that displays team history inside. A bonus was the display case featuring the league trophy

11. Richmond  –  To be fair, I was here the first year of the Flying Squirrels, so it’s hard to expect much in the way of this department.

12. Bowie  –  A pathetic display of how not to decorate your ballpark. Only a statue on the outside saved them from a zero ranking.

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Cost

1.  Akron  –  Great all around with tickets under $10 in 2011. Free parking in all the downtown lots after 6 PM and on weekends is a bonus.

2.  Reading  –  Amazing to see a get-in price for under $10 now-a-days (2024) in minor league baseball. If you buy in-advance, you’ll get a cheap seat for $9. Even the grandstand at $12 – $15 isn’t bad…plus there is free parking.

12. New Hampshire  –  Eastern League costs are generally similar, but by a slight margin this was the worst of the bunch due to very high parking rates.

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Fan Support

1.  Richmond  –  I think the loss of baseball for a season made Richmond realize what they had. Crowds have been pretty good for the Squirrels.

2.  Portland  –  Much of this has to do with New England’s obsession with the parent club Red Sox. Still, Portland draws a good crowd often.

11. Bowie  –  The game I attended on a pleasant summer Tuesday night featured about 500 people. Pathetic.

.12. Binghamton  –  There’s some interest, but attendance is often lowest in the league.

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Atmosphere

1.  Richmond  –  Again being the first year that the team was here helped, but this was one of the few minor-league games that I’ve been to where their was a genuine buzz because of the action on the field.

2.  Portland  –  Similar passion thanks to the Red Sox, the fans in Portland brought great energy and paid close attention to every play on the field.

11. Altoona  –  The setting is nice and peaceful, especially with the rolling hills in the background. Fans lack enthusiasm though.

12. Bowie  –  Hard to get any type of atmosphere going with so few people in the stand…I’d like to give them another shot

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Prestige

1.  Erie  –  My personal favorite re-affirmed with a visit ten years later. Unique ballpark really made me want to come back.

2.  Reading  –  Old-school stadium with history, modern touches and a good following. The place just feels like Minor League Baseball.

11. New Hampshire  –  One of the very few times I just did not enjoy myself at the ballpark, which was a combination of many factors. This place should be so much better.

12. Bowie  –  Do you see how many times (four) they made the list as the “worst” in a category? 

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