Traveling is a huge part of baseball, involving moving the athletes, supporting staff, and loads of equipment. Teams must ensure everything goes smoothly, as they want their players to be at their best for every game.
Moving across multiple time zones is challenging, as athletes must deal with jet lag regularly. Also, some fans travel to away games to support their favorite teams. To truly understand the magnitude of traveling in this sport, it’s essential to look at the baseball team map.
It is a great way to see how far teams move to play away games during the season. Also, it gives you context on how much effort the away fans put into showing up regularly. You’ll also find this guide helpful to plan a baseball pilgrimage to every stadium.
- Map of Major League Baseball Teams: Who Traveled the Most and the Least?
- MLB Baseball Teams on a Map: 5 Stadiums To Add to Your Travel Itinerary
- Minor League Baseball Teams Map: An Overview
- AAA Baseball Teams Map – 4 Ballparks To Visit
- Japan Baseball Teams Map: 2 Best Ballparks You Must See
- Can You Make Baseball Team Maps With Google My Maps?
- Create a Custom Interactive Baseball Team Map With Mapize
Map of Major League Baseball Teams: Who Traveled the Most and the Least?
A baseball season schedule consists of 162 games spread over six months. Teams have to play 81 matches as visitors out of all these fixtures. But it doesn’t stop here, as there’s also the postseason playoffs. Depending on how far Major League Baseball (MLB) teams go in the playoffs, they can play 32 – 53 games. However, not every side travels the same distance during a season. This isn’t clear until you look at the map of major league baseball teams.
So, who do you think travels the most distance to play this sport? It depends on the season. For instance, during the 2023 regular season, Oakland Athletics traveled 51,527 miles. In 2022, the team racked up 42,918 miles. This is 8,609 miles lower than their travel distance during the 2023 season.
The Seattle Mariners, who traveled 49,036 miles, are second for most miles covered. This is 2,491 miles fewer than the Oakland Athletics. If you go to the other end of the spectrum, i.e., who traveled the least, it’s the Milwaukee Brewers. They covered 25,426 miles during the regular 2023 season.
Although MLB teams have all the creature comforts to make this part of the sport convenient, it’s still not easy. As highlighted earlier, the athletes suffer from jetlag, which affects their performance. Those who traveled recently will let the opposition steal more bases and score more home runs.
MLB Baseball Teams on a Map: 5 Stadiums To Add to Your Travel Itinerary
Stadiums always take center stage when talking about MLB baseball teams on a map. There’s nothing like watching a game of baseball in a packed stadium. Besides, no two stadiums are the same in this sport, contributing to its unique experience. Each ballpark has different dimensions and captures the atmosphere of the city.
Let’s take a closer look at some popular ballparks in the United States:
- Minute Maid Park – The Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas, is an engineering marvel and Houston Astros home turf. The retractable roof changes the atmosphere of the game completely. It retains the iconic Union Station, which now serves as the stadium’s entrance. This ballpark can host over 41,000 sports fans and uses natural grass for its surface.
- Petco Park – If there’s one place to enjoy great weather and baseball, it’s Petco Park. The San Diego Padres use this multi-purpose stadium as their home ground. This ballpark offers a unique experience like no other ground in the United States. Since the latest changes, over 40,000 people can watch a baseball game in this stadium.
- Kauffman Stadium – The Kauffman Stadium underwent significant changes as part of the ballpark’s renovation in 2009. Kansas City Royals play their home games in front of over 37,000 fans in this stadium.
- Busch Stadium – Sports fans know the Busch Stadium for its iconic view. This ballpark can seat over 44,000 people who want to watch the St. Louis Cardinals play. After renovating the ballpark, they are among the few teams to win the World Series Championship a season.
- Oriole Park – The Baltimore Orioles play at Oriole Park, the stadium that inspired several modern-day ballparks. More than 48,000 people can watch a game in this stadium.
Minor League Baseball Teams Map: An Overview
The Minor League Baseball League (MiLB) is the final stepping stone for players before they play in the major league. It is also a great league to follow, as you may see the next star. With the minor league baseball teams map, you always know how far any stadium is from your location.
If major league baseball exists, why do people love watching these games? This league is a great way to experience the good old days of baseball. Watching a major league game can be unfeasible, especially if you want to go as a large group. Not only do the ticket prices quickly add up, but so does how much everyone has to pay per meal.
In the minor league, these costs won’t go out of control, especially when you go out with your family. You can experience everything this sport offers without burning a hole in your wallet. The tickets are affordable, and so are the concession stands that sell you food and beverages.
Currently, 120 teams in the MiLB fall into categories like:
- Triple-A
- Double-A
- High-A
- Single-A
Why do these leagues exist? The MLB teams need to ensure players have adequate experience before joining their rosters. As a result, MiLB focuses on developing the athletes and nurturing them throughout the journey. In other words, it acts as the proving ground where players put their potential on display, game after game.
AAA Baseball Teams Map – 4 Ballparks To Visit
When you have an AAA baseball team map, the biggest question is, what should you do with it? First, you can check out the closest stadium to your location and plan a trip accordingly. But which one should you visit if you want to travel but don’t have enough time to do everything? Here’s a list of the top stadiums you must include in your Triple-A baseball teams map travel itinerary:
- Truist Field – If you want to feel like you’re in the MLB without paying similar rates, Truist Field is it. Charlotte Knights are the residents of this stadium. This ballpark has several amenities and can allow over 10,000 people through its gates. Its modern facilities ensure you have a great experience throughout the game.
- Southwest University Park – Southwest University Park is the home ground for the El Paso Chihuahuas. Given its location, it is a great place to enjoy baseball and eat authentic Mexican cuisine. If you check out Union Depot, you’ll notice how the ballpark draws inspiration from this historic building. Currently, it can seat up to 10,000 people.
- First Horizon Park – Nashville Sounds plays as the home team at the First Horizon Park. This ballpark can accommodate up to 10,000 baseball fans. One of the reasons why this stadium is famous is its unique scoreboard, which is shaped like a guitar.
- Coca-Cola Park – Lehigh Valley IronPigs call the Coca-Cola Park in Allentown, Pennsylvania, their home. It is an iconic ballpark because of all the design choices throughout the stadium. For instance, the scoreboard has a Coca-Cola bottle. Also, the atmosphere during a game makes it a worthwhile trip from any location.
Japan Baseball Teams Map: 2 Best Ballparks You Must See
Although there are only 12 teams in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB), every game is always exciting. You’ll always have an excellent experience as long you visit the right ballpark. Below is a list of every stadium you must include in your Japan baseball team map:
- Hanshin Koshien Stadium – If there’s one park any baseball enthusiast must visit, it’s the Hanshin Koshien Stadium. Located in Nishinomiya, Hyōgo Prefecture, the Hanshin Tigers use this ballpark as their home turf. It is also where the National High School Baseball Championship, a highly popular tournament in the country, occurs.
If you visited the Wrigley Field in Chicago, you’ll recognize the ivy on the walls. This stadium took inspiration from the Chicago Cubs’ home ground and continues to preserve it.
This ballpark will hold 47,400 spectators, giving you an experience similar to an MLB stadium. The venue offers incredible views of the game and the surroundings, ensuring you have a memorable time. - Mazda Zoom-Zoom Stadium – Another ballpark you should add to your must-visit places is the Mazda Zoom-Zoom Stadium in Hiroshima. Although it can’t have more than 32,000 fans per game, the experience this ballpark offers is second to none. Here, you’ll find the Hiroshima Toyo Carp.
Once you enter the stadium, you can’t help but be in awe of its asymmetry. While enjoying your baseball game, don’t forget to look at the landscape. The mountains blend into the background and give you stunning views.
Can You Make Baseball Team Maps With Google My Maps?
Yes, making baseball team maps using Google My Maps is possible. Here’s what you need to do on this online map builder by Google:
- Open Google My Maps on a desktop browser.
- Click + Create A New Map. This button is on the top left corner of your screen.
- In the search field, enter the name of the baseball stadium.
- The map will show you the location of the ballpark. Select Add To Map in the location’s card.
- Repeat steps 3 – 4 to include multiple baseball stadiums to your list.
Once you add all the ballparks, remember to change the map’s name and the layer. It is on the left side of your screen. If you want to include additional information, click the pen icon on the location’s card. This allows you to change the location’s name and include a description.
After you create a map, it will be available in Google Maps. You can also share this custom map with your family and friends.
Create a Custom Interactive Baseball Team Map With Mapize
What if you want to do more, say you need to create a custom interactive map for baseball? Do you want to go on a tour and want to share your itinerary with other baseball enthusiasts? Or, you want to see which ballparks are close to your county and map a route covering these locations.
The easiest way to create a map of baseball teams per your requirements is to use Mapize. It is a powerful online map builder to help you visualize your ideas. A common reason why people don’t feel comfortable using these tools is because of their complexity. This won’t be an issue with Mapize, as the interface is easy to understand.
You don’t have to use the standard map pins in Google or Apple Maps. Instead, you can replace them with baseball team logos. If you don’t want the stadiums of certain rivals to appear, you can hide them on this map.
You can also use this custom map builder to create a list of places to check out after the game. Where should everyone go to grab a quick meal before the game? Which pub should you go to after the match?
So, how do you create the custom baseball map?
- Create a spreadsheet containing the following details in different columns:
- The name of the stadium
- The ballpark’s address
- The stadium’s city
- The ballpark’s zipcode.
- Save this file and upload it to Mapize.
And that’s it; this tool will create a baseball map for you with this information. Try Mapize for free to make your first baseball team map today!