Throughout PNC Park¡¯s history, everyone in the Pirates organization has consistently referred to it as ¡°the best ballpark in America¡± -- and they¡¯re not shy about it.

It¡¯s easy to understand that perspective.

Now entering its 24th season, PNC Park remains every bit as breathtaking and pristine as it was the day the 38,000-plus-seat facility opened in 2001 along the Allegheny River on Pittsburgh¡¯s North Shore. Plus, it¡¯s more state-of-the-art and fan-friendly than ever.

• About PNC Park

That¡¯s not just provincial thinking either. Sure, the Pirates, their fans, and the local media hold PNC Park in the highest regard, but it has also received rave reviews from virtually anyone who has ever visited, no matter where they call home.

Another accolade was added to the list when USA TODAY rated PNC Park first among the 30 Major League stadiums in a report that was released on Saturday.

The article -- which carried the headline ¡°Ranking MLB¡¯s stadiums from 1 to 30: Baseball travelers¡¯ favorite ballparks¡± -- revealed that eight baseball reporters and editors from the USA TODAY Network rated each current stadium and used the aggregate scores to determine the ¡°ultimate MLB stadium rankings.¡±

Oracle Park, home of the San Francisco Giants, was second on the list behind PNC Park. The remainder of the top 10 included (in order): Wrigley Field in Chicago, Camden Yards in Baltimore, Fenway Park in Boston, Petco Park in San Diego, Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, Coors Field in Denver, T-Mobile Park in Seattle and Target Field in Minneapolis.

Two offseasons ago, Pirates chairman Bob Nutting said, ¡°I am committed to a constant evaluation and upgrade of the experience in and around PNC Park, especially for families.¡±

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That led to significant enhancements to the ballpark prior to the 2022 and 2023 seasons. Janet Marie Smith, one of the industry¡¯s leading experts, consulted with the Pirates to help make those improvements happen. She has also worked on renovations to other facilities on the new USA TODAY list -- namely Fenway Park, Camden Yards and Dodger Stadium.

Prior to the 2022 season, the Pirates did a lot of work from foul pole to foul pole in the outfield to bring better sightlines, more social gathering spaces and additional food and beverage options to the Riverwalk.

Last season, the most noticeable change at PNC Park was the massive new scoreboard in left field that features state-of-the-art technology and twice as much display space as the previous version. There were also new video boards, video rings and a new audio system. Plus, with the benefit of evolving technology, it became faster and easier for fans to enter the ballpark, purchase items at the concessions stands and move about PNC Park¡¯s concourses.

¡°Any ranking of ballparks, I don¡¯t care what the source is, has PNC Park in the top five,¡± Smith said at this time last year. ¡°That¡¯s a real testament to the city of Pittsburgh, the Sports & Exhibition Authority, Bob Nutting, and the Pirates. The fact that they¡¯ve maintained that even as the ballpark has moved into its third decade is huge. It¡¯s rare for a ballpark to always be thought of that highly throughout the nation.¡±

Now the No. 1 ranking from USA TODAY can be added to the list.