One of the more important decisions to make as a baseball fan is where to sit when you attend a game in person. This is a critical decision as you plan to maximize your enjoyment, even if the worst seat in the house is still better than every other geographic location on Planet Earth.

With that said, it will always come down to a matter of opinion (and also cost), but there are advantages and disadvantage to each vantage point. I’ve included a seating chart of Comerica Park for reference, but recognize that all stadiums are different. Later in the offseason, I’ll run a series ranking the MLB parks I’ve been to, so I can give you specific advice at that point, but this is a general overview.

Let’s assume that funds aren’t an issue here, but if they are, just eliminate any options that are out of your price range, and voila, this will still work for you!

Most people assume close proximity to the playing field is the most desirable aspect of your seating choice, but this is a fallacy. You actually don’t want to be too close because it will throw off your perspective. While sitting directly behind home plate in the first row seems cool, it’s actually not a great view unless you like nodding approvingly at the player near the on-deck circle.

In this instance, however, the umpire obstructs your view of balls and strikes, you have a bad angle on plays at first and third and won’t be able to judge the distance of fly balls. If you want to sit near the plate, you want to sit many rows back. This will give you a better view of the strikezone and will improve your ability to judge batted balls. Your views of the bases are still not ideal, but they are better.

A much better choice if you like to sit facing the field in a similar way is the first row of the upper deck. Here, you’ve improved your view of the strikezone, you’re in a better position to judge batted balls, and the bases are less obstructed. It’s still not an ideal seat because of the angle, but if you like the view from behind the field of play, this is my recommendation.

If you’re looking to improve on your view, the best thing you can do is move down the line. You don’t want to go too far and lose your view of the zone, but swinging around to first or third base will really help you judge batted balls. You’ll still be close enough to see the zone, but you will give up some of your inside-outside judgment.

Here, you’re also going to give yourself a good angle on most of the bases too. If you move toward first, you will have a good view of forces at first (important), tags at third, and tags at home while losing tags at first (coming back to the bag), and tags at second. Forces at second will vary. If you slide toward third, you can see tags at first, everything at second and everything at home. You surrender a lot of action at third and forces at first. If I have to choose, the profile of sitting on first base is a little better.

So far, we want to sit on the first base side, but not too close to the action. We also don’t want to sit so far that we can’t see either. The sweetspot, as indicated in this diagram, is probably about even with first base and above two thirds of the way up the section. This will give you optimum viewing and will put you in foul ball range. This is where I’d tell you to sit.

But there are advantages to other spots. It’s always nice to be in the first row under an overhang because it protects you from the elements during April and October (and also rain delays in the summer). The first few rows of the outfield seats can be fun too, if you like watching the game unfold from a player’s point of view.

If you’re cost conscious, another smart move is to sit on the infield side of the first section after a price change (117, 138). This offers a more expensive view at a lower price.

Another trick is to sit with the nearest aisle to you on the outfield side of you. In other words, be far away from the nearest aisle that might block your view of the plate.

If you’re still deciding between or among some choices, think about the geography of the stadium. Are there particular areas you like to see when looking around? Do you want to be close to a particular concession stand, bathroom, or apparel shop?

You could also choose to sit close to your favorite player. I knew a girl in high school who always sat near Inge because she loves him and I have a feeling a former co-host of mine likes standing in right center field so he can get a nice view of Josh Hamilton when he comes to town. In my case, I’m not sure if they’ll let me sit in the dugout, as my favorite players are usually utility guys.

So while it’s a matter of opinion, there is a right method for picking your seats. Some people value different things at a ballpark, but you should know what you’re choosing when you make the call. Don’t worry though, if you screw it up, you’ll still be spending three hours watching baseball.