HOT DOG! THIS INTREPID TRAVELER RANKS THE FRANKS |
Rev Ciancio, a New Jersey-based hospitality marketer, visited 77 professional ballparks during the 2026 season. He also enjoyed, to varying degrees, 77 plain hot dogs with mustard. Coincidence? Of course not. "Getting a hot dog with mustard, to me, is a mandatory part of the experience," said Ciancio, who chronicled his Minor League-centric ballpark adventures on social media throughout the season. "The whole season, 77 games, they're all ranked." Ciancio said that his "plain with mustard" hot dog approach "levels the playing field," allowing every team to participate on its own merits. He would eat his frankfurter in the seventh inning, following the singing of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame," having given his body several innings to recover from the more grandiose "calorie bomb" concession items consumed earlier in the ballgame. It's a tough job, and no one has to do it, but he did. What follows are Ciancio's Top 10 hot dogs from his 2026 travels, encompassing visits to Major League, Minor League and Partner League ballparks. They are ranked on a scale from 1 to 5. "Within each number, 'soft,' 'straight' or 'hard' shows where it lands," he explained. "A soft 5 just barely earned the 5, and a hard 5 is perfect." Reading Fightin Phils (Double-A PHI)
Hard 5 |
The Fightin Phils have long claimed that their Berks Packing-brand hot dogs, cooked on a flattop grill, are the best in baseball. Ciancio agrees, saying that two longtime gameday employees, Carol and Diane, "are hot dog whisperers." "When you eat a hot dog at Reading, it's as though every single hot dog was individually cooked," he continued. "One person took one hot dog and made sure it was perfect." Chicago Dogs (American Association)
Hard 5 |
The Chicago Dogs, based just outside of the city proper, feature a hot dog in their primary logo. Ciancio said they lived up to the hype, and that the "ingredient difference maker" was the poppy seed bun. Chicago Cubs
Soft 5 |
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A classic hot dog, served up in Major League Baseball's second-oldest ballpark. Vienna beef in a steamed bun, what more do you need? "I feel like Chicago teams have a right and a duty to produce good hot dogs," said Ciancio. Brooklyn Cyclones (High-A NYM)
Soft 5 |
The Cyclones play at Coney Island, just up the street from the original Nathan's Famous Hot Dogs. "It's part of their culture to have a good hot dog," said Ciancio. Richmond Flying Squirrels (Double-A SF)
Soft 5 |
Several Reading Fightin' Phils alums now work for the Flying Squirrels, who serve Berks Packing hot dogs at their new home of CarMax Park. Ciancio said he appreciated that the team really "nailed the classics." "It was just a well-rounded hot dog. Like there was magic and you don't know why." |
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The Fenway Frank, another classic dog served up in a classic Major League environment. "This is one of the Major League stadiums where the lore of the hot dog holds true," said Ciancio. "The folded slice of bread [a split-top bun] is a way better vehicle than you would think." Albuquerque Isotopes (Triple-A COL)
Hard 4 |
Ciancio raves about the Isotopes' food and beverage operation writ large, from the classics to the specialty items to the fact that you can put green chiles on just about anything. "It's almost foul to highlight how good the hot dog was because there's so much good there," he said. "But this was just a well done hot dog." Sussex County Miners (National Association of Professional Baseball)
Hard 4 |
The Miners are based in New Jersey, and they adhere to a style of hot dog preparation native to the state. "They're the only team that I've been to that has a ripper, where they're actually deep-frying the hot dog," said Ciancio. "It is pretty good, man." Lehigh Valley IronPigs (Triple-A PHI)
Hard 4
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The IronPigs have no shortage of hot dog options; even their in-house Bloody Mary is garnished with one. As for their plain dog with mustard, Ciancio said that it is "exactly what a ballpark hot dog is supposed to taste like." Joliet Slammers (National Association of Professional Baseball)
Hard 4 |
Ciancio rounds out his Top 10 with yet another Chicago area team, the Slammers. Like the Chicago Dogs, the Slammers serve their hot dog on a poppy seed bun. He said that, figuratively speaking, it's a "rock solid" offering. |
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Last week, I attended the Minor League Baseball Business Summit in Louisville, during which a variety of teams, front office members and promotional endeavors were honored. A full rundown of team award winners can be found HERE, while Golden Bobblehead Award winners can be found HERE. Many of these 2026 award winners were covered by the Baseball Traveler during the course of the 2026 season. Here's a refresher: |
Best Local Partner Activation -- Rocket City Trash Pandas, Global Baseball Series
In the week leading up to the start of the season, the Trash Pandas hosted the Toyota Red Cruisers at Toyota Field. This Japanese Industrial League team highlighted the Global Baseball Series, an “international community-driven cultural exchange event” that also featured two local colleges as well as the Trash Pandas themselves. |
Best New Merchandise Promotion – Palm Beach Cardinals, Palm Beach Frozen Iguanas alternate identity
It's a South Florida phenomenon: When the temperatures drop, iguanas freeze up and fall down. Palm Beach suited up as this amphibious anomaly during every Saturday home game and it led to a massive increase in merchandise sales (with buyers in all 50 states as well as six additional countries). |
Organization of the Year -- Richmond Flying Squirrels
The Flying Squirrels finally opened a new ballpark in 2026, with CarMax Park replacing The Diamond. The team drew a franchise-record 468,961 fans, who enjoyed what may be the most lively environment in all of Minor League Baseball. When I visited CarMax Park, Flying Squirrels senior advisor Todd "Parney" Parnell told me, "Above having fun every day, being different every day, we've been impactful. And that ultimately was the way we could fight through 15 years of trying to get a ballpark." |
Executive of the Year -- Brian DeWine, Asheville Tourists president
DeWine oversaw the renovation of the Tourists’ 102-year-old ballpark, HomeTrust Park (formerly known as McCormick Field). The project, successfully completed following a significant disruption caused by Hurricane Helene, ensures that one of the most charming ballparks in the Minor Leagues will welcome fans for decades to come. |
FROM THE ARCHIVES: LOOKING FOR UPLIFT |
This offseason I'm sharing material from my vast archives of Minor League Baseball road trip material. Loyal reader Darryl wrote in with the following request: Anything along the lines of the Rhashan West-Bey story. Always a joy and uplifting to read stories about people like him. Perhaps it was because I like to think in alphabetical order, but Darryl's email reminded me of a story I wrote after visiting the Albuquerque Isotopes in 2019: James Keefner, a now-34-year-old with Down Syndrome, is the Isotopes' "Ballpark Mayor." |
"I love to work [with the grounds crew]. I like to rake, do the walk-ups, water, help out with bases," James told me. "I dance [with the grounds crew]. We do 'Shake It Off.' I love to dance and do the entertainment. My dad is happy for me. So is my mom." |
THUS CONCLUDES THIS EDITION OF (WHAT I HOPE IS) YOUR FAVORITE NEWSLETTER |
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