NBT Bank Stadium: Home of the Syracuse Mets
On the outskirts of Syracuse you can catch 'The Most Amazin Show on Dirt' at NBT Bank Stadium. A newly renovated stadium offers a spectacular experience that makes for a fun night at the ballpark.
You might have noticed that I have featured NBT Bank Stadium briefly in earlier posts. This is a park that I have visited on many occasions but had never completed an in-depth review.
Syracuse Mets (Triple-A affiliate of the New York Mets since 2019)
Established: 1961 (as the Syracuse Chiefs)
League: International League
Ballpark: NBT Bank Stadium (opened 1997, renovated in 2019)
Championships: 1969, 1970, 1976
Notable Alumni: Carlos Delgado, Dave Steib, Ron Guidry, Brett Baty, Ronny Mauricio, Bobby Cox (manager)
Location/ Scenery/ Amenities (3.5/5)
The location of NBT Bank Stadium is very disappointing as the ballpark is not near the downtown area. Rather the stadium is tucked in a factory park behind the train station which makes the area virtually unwalkable. This also led to a parking nightmare meaning that, on a busy night, you could spend well over 20 minutes waiting to enter the lot.
Beyond that, the stadium has absolutely spectacular amenities. The 315 Bullpen Bar in left field offers a great view with a full bar. The Metropolitan Club down the right field line is an air conditioned group space that is open to the public if there is not a private event, offering buffets and brunches on select days. The Salt City Deck in right field also acts as a private event space but is open to the public if it is not booked and acts as another auxiliary area to watch the game. The ballpark has areas that cater to families as well with turf berms down both foul lines where kids can run and play throughout the game.
Moving away from the game for a moment, the stadium also houses the Syracuse Baseball Hall of Fame and is open to the public during all games and is located on the first floor of the Metropolitan Club.
To add a fun fact, NBT Bank Stadium is the only minor league park that has a full second deck.
Food (3.6/5)
The food at NBT Bank Stadium was relatively creative as well. I got the Sauerkraut Pirogies ($13.50) which I was not a fan of. However, they did have a Potato and Cheese option which they were sold out of (and that sounded much more appetizing). I also got the Chili Cheese Tots ($14.00) which were great as the tots were crispy with a chili sauce that wasn't overpowering in the dish. As a drink, I got a 1911 Original Hard Cider which is crafted by a local apple orchard.
Entertainment (2.5/5)
The entertainment was very underwhelming throughout the game. There were various on field games but they were very minimalistic and didn't add much to the atmosphere. I feel that the ballpark needs to find a way to get fans more involved in the in game atmosphere. The bright spots, however, are the promotions. Every Tuesday is Taco Tuesday and Fridays are Firework Fridays.
Sam's Score: 64/100
Overall, this is a great ballpark with some of the best amenities that I have seen but it is a crime that this ballpark is not in a better location, such as Downtown Syracuse. Had this been built in the city of Syracuse, I believe they would have no problem selling out games, rather, with their poor location the team struggles to bring in a large crowd. With that being said, while there are a lot of things done right, the negatives drown out the positives and lead to a very middle of the road grade.
