Rangers' Globe Life Field gets trashed in MLB stadium rankings

USA Today has dropped a new list ranking all of the ballparks in the league, and they are not pulling any punches when it comes to their disdain for the home of the Texas Rangers. Globe Life Field lands at 29th out of 30 parks, ahead of only Sutter Health Park - a Sacramento minor league facility that is playing host to the A's until they move into their shiny new digs in Las Vegas next season.

So, what in the world could make Gabe Laques, the writer of the piece, rank Globe Life Field as, essentially, the worst major league stadium in the bigs, and does he have a point? Let's take a look at what claims he makes that would lead to such a terrible ranking.

Rangers' home Globe Life Field gets lambasted in USA Today's ballpark rankings, but it's not as bad as it seems

If you ask most Ranger fans about trading in the Ballpark in Arlington for Globe Life Field in 2020, you'll get mixed opinions. Some say giving up the sweltering and punishing Texas summer heat at the old ballpark for the comfort of the air-conditioned GLF was a long time coming, and they are happy about it. Still, others loved the character and old-school charm of the Ballpark and were sorry to see it go after just 25 years of use.

Well, Lacques, a neutral observer and non-native Texan, definitely falls into the latter category, and he doesn't mince words in explaining why he is not a fan of Globe Life Field. Among his criticisms is that "Walking into GLF is like walking into a Costco." And that "Everything’s bigger in Texas, but the sheer vastness – even the dugouts are huge – creates a sterile atmosphere and a forgettable experience relative to other ballparks".

Maybe the most scathing excerpt from his entry reads: "(Globe Life is) the cautionary tale for the modern mixed-use stadium hellscape." Well, please don't hold back, Gabe. A hellscape? A cautionary tale?

And he doesn't even go into how the park factors into the product on the field and how it is widely considered one of the most punishing pitchers' parks in MLB. With the exception of 2023, when everyone on the roster had career years, Globe Life Field has been brutal on the Rangers' bats. No one can pinpoint exactly why the alleys and center field are a graveyard for well-hit fly balls, but you really have to get a hold of one to deposit a ball over the fence nowadays.

This season, Globe Life Field has been the second-least hitter-friendly park in baseball after T-Mobile Park in Seattle. Surprisingly, though, Texas has a better team OPS (.723) at home than it does on the road (.700). Still, that .723 mark at home ranks 21st in the bigs.

Rangers fans would argue that, apparently, Lacques hasn't had some of the amazing Texas brisket, barbecue, or Texas-sized Boomsticks available on the extensive menu that has a little something for everyone. Or nurse a Shiner Bock in one of the field-level box suites that lets you feel like you're actually on the field and part of the action. And he definitely hasn't been to the Old Ballpark when it is 107 degrees in mid-July or August.

Is the cavernous Globe Life facility a quaint, cozy, steeped-in-baseball-lore experience like Fenway Park or Wrigley Field? Absolutely not. The team has only been in existence in Texas for 55 years, and it's not a hop off- the-L or subway trip where you can get dropped off right at the front gate. In fact,

Lacques asserts that having the park in Arlington alongside Jerry World and the still-standing Ballpark in Arlington leads to "fields" of parking lots that also detract from the overall experience. He also correctly points out that Arlington is the largest city in the country without a mass transit system. Of course, this is Texas, and there is a lot more space to cover here as opposed to Boston, North Chicago, and New York, which are all hemmed in by waterfronts.

Are some of his points valid? Maybe. But you cannot convince us, or a large portion of the Rangers fanbase, that everything about Globe Life is far and away worse than the Old Ballpark in Arlington experience - especially the heat-stroke prevention that comes with a 72-degree AC setting for 81 games a year. The players certainly don't have a problem avoiding 100+ degree home games. They are fresher over the course of the season. That is just a physiological fact.

Are there things that we would tweak about the new-ish Rangers home stadium? Definitely. Still, is it the worst park in all of MLB (we're not counting the A's temporary minor league home)? We don't think so. If you had grown up going to Rangers games in the scalding Texas heat, you might have a different opinion that would bump Globe Life Field up several spots in the rankings, Mr. Lacques.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow