When SunTrust Park opened in April 2017, it was praised as a model for MLB teams as they move forward on new-ballpark plans or renovations to existing facilities. The Atlanta Braves pulled off a project that combines a great ballpark with integrated development and year-round use, making it the choice of Ballpark of the Year from Ballpark Digest, the Internet resource specializing in ballparks and the business of baseball.

"With an absolute commitment to the best fan experience possible, SunTrust Park was the obvious choice for our Ballpark of the Year," said Ballpark Digest publisher Kevin Reichard. "You begin with a great design, surround it with great amenities like The Battery and office/hotel space, and then you watch fans come out in droves to a Braves game. SunTrust Park is a great blueprint for any ballpark development coming down the pike in the next decade."

"We are extremely honored to receive this award," said Terry McGuirk, Braves Chairman and CEO. "Our hope with this project was to have something for everyone inside SunTrust Park and to have a place for our fans to go before and after games. An award like this confirms we took the right path."

What makes SunTrust Park a template for future ballparks? Several factors stand out:

"Inspiration from the culture and history of both Atlanta and the Braves organization allowed us to design SunTrust Park to be an icon of southern hospitality," said Earl Santee, Populous Principal in Charge. "From the kid's zone to the clubs and rooftop decks, SunTrust Park is truly a place where people love to be together and a model for future Major League Baseball ballparks."

"What we really loved at SunTrust Park were the small, personal touches in a ballpark seating more than 41,000 fans," Reichard added. "Whether it's the refrigerated drink holders in the Chop House or 300-year-old repurposed timber in the Champions Suites, there is an incredible attention to detail at SunTrust Park. It makes for a great experience, no matter if a fan is there for the first time or the 50th."

SunTrust Park joins a distinguished list of ballparks honored by Ballpark Digest as Ballpark of the Year, including Minnesota's Target Field (2010), Columbia's Spirit Communications Park (2016), St. Paul's CHS Field (2015), El Paso's Southwest University Park (2014), and Arizona's Salt River Fields at Talking Stick (2011).

More on SunTrust Park and why it's Ballpark Digest's Ballpark of the Year can be found here: http://bit.ly/2eLnQ3T