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ESPN Poll Ranks Home-Field Advantages for Playoff Teams
Confirmed
In Short: ESPN has surveyed managers and coaches who have competed in the ballparks of the eight remaining playoff teams to rank their home-field advantages.
ESPN has surveyed managers and coaches who have competed in the ballparks of the eight remaining playoff teams to rank their home-field advantages.
According to the poll, Yankee Stadium in New York is considered the gold standard for home-field advantage, with its atmosphere and history.
Padres' Petco Park has seen a significant improvement, now being described as the second-best home field, thanks to a more passionate fan base and enhanced in-game experience.
Carlos Beltran, Houston Astros' player, called a team meeting after Game 5 of the playoffs, believing his teammates were affected by Yankee Stadium's atmosphere.
The staff noted that the fast surface at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg matches the Rays' offensive style, but the clubhouse, food, and batting cage are the worst in the league, making it tougher to play there.
Managers and coaches also highlighted the distractions of nearby beaches and the way fan noise ricochets in Tropicana Field, adding to the challenge for visiting teams.
The Padres' fan base has become more fanatical since the departure of the Chargers, creating a more intense atmosphere at Petco Park.
During the 2017 playoffs, the Astros were swept in the middle three games they played in New York, underscoring the impact of Yankee Stadium's environment.
The ranking is based on years of experience and feedback from those who have competed in these ballparks, providing a comprehensive view of each team's home-field advantage.
What this adds
The shift in Padres' fan base enthusiasm is a recent development, impacting Petco Park's home-field advantage.
The new Yankee Stadium's atmosphere has evolved over time, now being seen as the best home-field advantage.
What's confirmed
- ESPN has surveyed managers and coaches who have competed in the ballparks of the eight remaining playoff teams to rank their home-field advantages.
- According to the poll, Yankee Stadium in New York is considered the gold standard for home-field advantage, with its atmosphere and history.
- Padres' Petco Park has seen a significant improvement, now being described as the second-best home field, thanks to a more passionate fan base and enhanced in-game experience.
- Carlos Beltran, Houston Astros' player, called a team meeting after Game 5 of the playoffs, believing his teammates were affected by Yankee Stadium's atmosphere.
- The staff noted that the fast surface at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg matches the Rays' offensive style, but the clubhouse, food, and batting cage are the worst in the league, making it tougher to play there.
- Managers and coaches also highlighted the distractions of nearby beaches and the way fan noise ricochets in Tropicana Field, adding to the challenge for visiting teams.
- The Padres' fan base has become more fanatical since the departure of the Chargers, creating a more intense atmosphere at Petco Park.
- During the 2017 playoffs, the Astros were swept in the middle three games they played in New York, underscoring the impact of Yankee Stadium's environment.
- The ranking is based on years of experience and feedback from those who have competed in these ballparks, providing a comprehensive view of each team's home-field advantage.
What's still developing
- "What flies under the radar is that with the departure of the [NFL's] Chargers, this opened space for more fanatic Padres fans," Gwynn Jr. wrote in a text to ESPN.
- "The combination of the crowd, the atmosphere, all of the postseason history," one NL staffer said.
- One AL staffer wrote in a text, "Petco is most improved and arguably 1-B to Yankee Stadium. The music, the vibe, the volume all impact the visiting team. The in-game is noticeably on point. The fans are all-in. It is no longer a chill place."
- Bradford Doolittle » "It's not an intimidating place for us," one staffer said.
- What is debatable is where Petco Park ranks in terms of home-field advantage among the eight teams still alive in the division series and battling for a World Series title.
- When the Yankees moved from their old home to the new Yankee Stadium in 2009, the initial narrative was that the new place didn't have the soul of the old place, because the new Yankee Stadium seemed bigger and more cavernous, with less intensity.
- "This generation of Padre fans seems to be more fanatical than the generation I came up watching, when the fans could kind of take it or leave it. With the Padres being the only team in town now, it's just a different type of fan than it was before."
- "The fans are there early. They are loud. Their passion can be felt from Pitch 1. The event feels different. It still has the edge that impacts the opponent."
- "It's like the bass from the speakers thumps you in the chest."
- "The goal has always been to not get swept there."
- — The Buffalo Bills officially opened their new stadium Thursday night.
- Bills quarterback Josh Allen, the former and potentially future MVP, was an unstoppable force in the contest, throwing for three touchdowns and running for two more on his team’s first six possessions in a 41-31 victory over the Lions at Highmark Stadium.