Ranking the Minor League Ballparks of the New York Mets

We're always looking for great road trips, and the ability to visit each affiliated team of the New York Mets offers fans a scenic way to see the eastern part of the United States. The Mets have three affiliates in the state of New York, and affiliates in Tennessee, Georgia, and Florida. Fans of the Mets could see the future of their ball club by making such a trip, and would also experience at least four good ballparks. Here's our ranking for the best of the Mets minor league affiliated ballparks.

1. MCU Park - Home of the Brooklyn Cyclones

   

   With the imposing frame of the historic Cyclone roller coaster looming in the distance, Coney Island's MCU Park has served as the home of the New York Mets Single-A affiliate Brooklyn Cyclones for the past decade. Though Coney Island is notorious for some interesting characters, the Cyclones have provided a fun family atmosphere centered around America's pastime. There's a ton of great history in the Coney Island area, and the young Mets prospects attempt to write their own chapters every summer night. The Brooklyn Dodgers were once the talk of the town in Kings County, but when the team moved to Los Angeles in 1957, Brooklyn was left with a major baseball void. However, the Cyclones have filled that void and will continue to provide affordable entertainment to the thousands of fans who attend games each year.

2. NYSEG Stadium - Home of the Binghamton Mets

   

   For two decades, the Binghamton Mets have served as the AA affiliate to the parent club in New York. The long-standing relationship and strong geographic ties have created a great fan base and good attendance for the Eastern League team. NYSEG Stadium is the home of the Binghamton Mets, and offers good food and a great return on your investment.

3. Coca-Cola Field - Home of the Buffalo Bisons

   

   Opened in 1988, Coca-Cola Field, nee Pilot Field, is the home of the Buffalo Bisons, the AAA affiliate of the New York Mets. The Bisons play in the International League. Located right in downtown Buffalo off the I-190, the venue is one of the original "retro ballparks", with an original capacity of 21,500 seats, and was designed with the idea of being expanded for an eventual Major League Baseball expansion team. Since that dream ended, numerous renovations and enhancements have shrunk the capacity to 17,679 seats, still one of the largest at the AAA level.

4. Tradition Field - Home of the St. Lucie Mets

   

   In 1987, the Mets were — after their second World Series title — looking for their own home and found one in Port St. Lucie on the east coast. Along with it came a brand new Florida State League team they could call their own, the St. Lucie Mets. Since their formation in 1987, the mini Mets have won their division five times, and each time have won the FSL league title, making them tied for the most league titles in that time period with the other New York farm team in Florida, the Tampa Yankees.

5. Grayson Stadium - Home of the Savannah Sand Gnats

   

   Grayson Stadium (named after Spanish-American War veteran General William L. Grayson), was built in 1926 as the home of the Savannah Indians. It went through a major rebuild in 1941 after a major hurricane decimated the structure in August 1940. A press box and other renovations were added in 1995, and a new scoreboard in 2007. Currently, there seems to be a movement in Savannah to look at replacing Grayson Stadium with a more modern ballpark designed to spur development at the Savannah River Landing, but at this point, it appears to only be in the earliest of planning stages.

6. Hunter Wright Stadium - Home of the Kingsport Mets

   

   Since 1980, the ball club in Kingsport, TN has been affiliated with the New York Mets, and since 1995 the squad has played in Hunter Wright Stadium. It’s a small venue with the main concourse stretching above the seats and down the first base line. The main entrance takes you in through a short tunnel with the lone concession stand on your right and the field straight ahead. Like many ballparks in the Appalachian League, Hunter Wright Stadium offers a very basic game presentation, where fans will just want to sit back and watch the baseball.