Benjamin Hill travels the nation collecting stories about what makes Minor League Baseball unique. This excerpt from the Baseball Traveler newsletter, presented by Circle K, is a mere taste of the smorgasbord of delights he offers every week. Read the full newsletter here, and subscribe to his newsletter here.
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
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."
Boston Red Sox
Hard 4
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
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.