San Diego’s Petco Park ranks high in home-field advantage among remaining MLB playoff teams. Orlando Ramirez/Getty ImagesBuster OlneyOct 5, 2026, 07:00 AM ETCloseSenior writer ESPN Magazine/ESPN.com Analyst/reporter ESPN television Author of “The Last Night of the Yankee Dynasty”Multiple AuthorsOpen Extended ReactionsTony Gwynn Jr. grew up going to games at Jack Murphy Stadium when his father, Tony Gwynn, played for the San Diego Padres, and he played in Petco Park himself during his own eight-year MLB career, so he has seen the dramatic evolution of the ballpark atmosphere in San Diego.”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. “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.”That the experience at a Padres games for fans and players — on both teams — has changed is indisputable. 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.We spoke to a number of managers and coaches — who, of course, have all competed in the ballparks still in play — on home-field advantage among the remaining clubs to create this ranking, based on their years of experience and feedback.
Petco Park, Yankee Stadium or the Trop? Ranking home-field advantage for all 8 remaining playoff teams
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