Every MLB stadium ranked from worst to best
By Kareem Gantt
30. Tropicana Field — Tampa Bay Rays
It pains me to rank Tropicana Field as the worst stadium in MLB as a die-hard Tampa Bay Rays fan.
As quirky as this stadium is, it holds some fond memories. However, let’s set sentiment aside to tell a hard truth — “The Trop,” as it’s known, stinks. The sloping, domed stadium was originally built for football, but when pro football went across the bay to Tampa, St. Petersburg officials, still hellbent on building a stadium for a pro sports franchise, reconfigured it for baseball.
The Trop was originally supposed to be an open-aired stadium with a “circus-like tent.” Instead, St. Pete wound up with a domed stadium with a circus-like top. It helps, somewhat, that the Rays play in a domed stadium, given how hot and humid the Tampa Bay area gets in the summer, not to mention the frequent afternoon thunderstorms. While that’s a plus, it could be the only one for The Trop.
Until this season, the food at The Trop was borderline dangerous to eat, constantly ranking as the worst ballpark food in the Majors. The Trop is also aesthetically unpleasant, both inside and outside, and the location is simply hideous. No wonder Rays owner Stuart Sternberg proposed the crazy idea of “sharing” the Rays with Montreal. The Rays lease on The Trop ends in 2027, and it’s hard to fathom that the team would want to re-up for another year playing in MLB’s worst stadium.