With one of baseball's premier defensive outfields in 2014, the Royals may be able to get to more balls hit in the gaps than they did in the past. Better pitchers/worse hitters might be a factor, but what is the coefficient next to that variable? #3 - Fenway Park (Red Sox) - 109.7 Overall Park Factor, 127.6 Fly Ball (3rd), 90 Home Run (25th). able to make a catch on an individual batted ball. Which group would you expect to give up more homers? As a result of these hitter-friendly dimensions, specifically down the left field line, Orioles Park led the MLB with 277 home runs hit in 2021 and ranked second only behind the Red's Great American Ball Park in Statcast's HR 'Park Factor' metric from 2019-2021. . For one, dimensions will play a factor into a good hitters park. Check out all of our 2021 fantasy baseball draft prep content. With the deepest center field of any park in baseballone that features a flagpole and hill that are in playyou'd think that Minute Maid Park in Houston would be more of a pitcher's park than a hitter's park. MLB. #15 - Truist Park (Braves) - 99.2 Overall Park Factor, 90.7 Fly Ball (21st), 93 Home Run (20th). by Handedness, Joey Wendle Is Leading the Charge for the White Hot Rays. In data analyzed by Baseball Savant's Statcast from 2019-21 , the 27-year-old stadium generated 14% more offense, compared to fellow MLB ballparks, including 19% more hits, 16% more home runs, and the second most triples (behind Comerica . New York Mets (84) Oakland A's (85) Miami Marlins (89) Seattle Mariners (90) Los Angeles Dodgers (90) Citi Field in New York is relatively neutral in homers (103), but no park has decreased. It also posted a 10-year high liner park factor (111.8) after being well below average in that area the previous three seasons. And if a team was stupid enough to leave one entire half of the infield wide open for you? When we think of "hitter-friendly" ballparks, Coors Field and Yankee Stadium are often the first two that come to mind due to the tendency for fly balls to travel beyond the outfield walls and into the hands of a lucky fan. Cestaniort is a website that writes about many topics of interest to you, a blog that shares knowledge and insights useful to everyone in many fields. Even with the Phillies having pushed the outfield fences back in 2007, Citizens Bank Ballpark still sees more home runs fly over the walls than most other parks, thanks to inviting porches down the line and power alleys that aren't all that deep. A symmetrical ballpark with reachable porches down the lines and not-too-imposing power alleys make Rogers Centre one of the more hitter-friendly venues in baseball, consistently landing it in the top 10 in home runs and doubles when compared to its counterparts around the game. Its about way more than homers here - though it does inflate them (homer park factors range from 112-133 over the past decade, but leading only once, never two standard deviations above average). I compared the samples of 95109 mph, less-than-30 degree data from 2019 to 21 to evaluate just how pronounced these effects were and found that average exit velocity did not shift by more than 1 mph and that average launch angles did not shift by more than 1 degree. Let's take a look at what the numbers tell us as we rank the 15 most hitter-friendly ballparks in baseball. The granular nature of the data being utilized tends to smooth things out and yield very reliable results. All these factors make Globe Life Park equally welcoming to hitters from both sides of the plate. The Park Factor home run score comes in at 1.011 which is very close to neutral. Among baseball's 30 venues, PNC boasts the game's lowest slugging percentage (.355), second-lowest run total (1,150) and third-lowest number of home runs (231). thrown with. Any ballpark with a TPF of 1.000 or above is classified as hitter-friendly, while any ballpark with a TPF below 1.000 sides with the pitcher. Enough talk, though; let's take a look at what the numbers tell us. at Santa Cruz City Schools, Sin City: 15 Dark Facts You Didn't Know About Las Vegas, Why Kiss the Blarney Stone? It hasnt posted a doubles park factor over 94 since 2016. 1 We tackled the more pitcher-friendly half of the 30 MLB parks yesterday, today, its to the more hitter-friendly ones. Neither offers across-the-board hit boosts beyond the homer suppression like Kauffman Stadium, though. in "feet per second in a player's fastest one-second #3 Fenway Park Fenway Park being towards the top of this list shouldn't stun anyone. It hasnt posted an average or higher triples park factor in the last decade, though the 2022 mark of 99 represents a high over that span. It sported a park factor of 0.817 for runs and 0.753 for homers, according toESPNs 2020 MLB Park Factors. As I do in my other analysis here, I took all batted balls and compared actual performance to projections based on the application of MLB average production to each exit speed/launch angle bucket. Whats going on there is straight-up weird. The 87 homer park factor is also a new low, representing the 9th straight year below 100. In that case, the White Sox could very well take the crown in 2022 as having the American League's most friendly home run park. Typically, the Brewers home park is going to finish in the top half of this list. Dylan Cease (14) The Rockies, Diamondbacks, Mariners, Mets, and Red Sox already had humidors in their stadiums pre-2021, but which five teams are new to that list has yet to be disclosed. You may opt-out by. Though league-wide trends are certainly an interesting and informative way to see the effects of a new baseball on run scoring, it is also important to examine in which parks hitters are having a more difficult time getting the ball into the seats. become a hit. Hector Santiago (2) Players know what's fair and what's not. Unlike most park factors, I use one year worth of data, not two or more. In order to access this exclusive content you must have a Baseball America Account. He's thoroughly experienced playing in season-long re-draft leagues, keeper formats and daily games. Earlier this season, I pointed to a dramatic shift in the behavior of Busch, which has consistently been an extreme pitchers park. #30 - Comerica Park (Tigers) - 88.2 Overall Park Factor, 79.7 Fly Ball (28th), 79 Home Run (29th). It is somewhat fly ball-friendly (more so on homers than doubles) that can be extremely so in the right weather conditions. The dry, thin desert air in Phoenix doesn't hinder power hitters in their efforts to put the ball on the other side of the outfield walls, regardless of whether the roof is open. Its one of 7 ballparks that have posted average or higher homer park factors in each of the last 10 seasons. Adjust expectations accordingly. While offense at Chase Field has been down so far in 2014, that will pick up as the season progresses, once again putting the home of the Arizona Diamondbacks near the top of the list when it comes to hitter-friendly venues in baseball. Read on to find out where this world-famous venue landed in our rankings. #5 - Oracle Park (Giants) - 107.0 Overall Park Factor, 106.2 Fly Ball (10th), 82 Home Run (28th). xBA measures the likelihood that a batted ball will Though as a frequent viewer of Brewers games, I can attest that Ive seen far more balls that appear to be hit on the screws (or thereabouts) go nowhere this year. #2 - Coors Field (Rockies) - 119.7 Overall Park Factor, 153.2 Fly Ball (1st), 116 Home Run (3rd). On the other hand, its posted below average singles park factors in 9 of the last 10 seasons. On the other hand, it has posted homer park factors below 100 in 8 of the last 10 seasons. Current: Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. ), but in my most paranoid state, I cannot imagine anyone thinking, Lets secretly install humidor *in Los Angeles*. First, and least significantly, pop ups fall in for hits here at over three times the MLB rate. Its singles park factor has been average or higher in 8 of the last 10 seasons. xwOBA is formulated using exit velocity, launch angle Ultimately, the answer to why certain parks might have been more impacted by the new run environment than others is difficult to unpack. Beyond our fantasy baseball content, be sure to check out our award-winning slate ofFantasy Baseball Toolsas you navigate your season. Throughout Baseball, a given hitter's Home vs Away statistics has always been a crucial aspect of how players are viewed. Wait, weve talked about the 15 most pitcher-friendly parks and havent visited Miami or San Francisco yet? The renovations at Oracle Park greatly impacted offense in San Francisco. In 2021, there are more fly balls in play compared to 2019, many of which were ultimately caught for an out (indicated in magenta): Similar trends can be observed for other ballparks as well. Anything above 400 is going to be pitcher friendly. This is one of a handful parks with an undeserved reputation as a hitters park. As is the case with some of the other parks on this list, Busch Stadium is a pitcher's park that is playing like a hitter's paradise in 2014. velocity and launch angle. THE BAT's park factors also account for physical properties of the parks (altitude, fence distance/height, foul ground, etc.) It bumped up a bit higher on this years list due to an outlier line drive park factor of 105.4, the highest in the past decade. When the Mets decided to reconfigure Citi Field's outfield dimensions after the 2011 season, the goal was to create a ballpark that was fair to both hitters and pitchers, as GM Sandy Alderson explained to MLB.com's Anthony DiComo: We didn't want to completely alter the ballpark and make it a proverbial bandbox. ALL because the hitters are idiots. #16 - American Family Field (Brewers) - 99.0 Overall Park Factor, 109.4 Fly Ball (7th), 114 Home Run (4th). No big shock here. We can only guess which. This is a fairly large range that is impacted by quality of hitters and pitchers. From ourTrade Analyzer- which allows you to instantly find out if a trade offer benefits you or your opponent - to ourWaiver Wire Assistant- which allows you to quickly see which available players will improve your team, and by how much - we've got you covered this fantasy baseball season. Sure, the Green Monster turns fly balls to left field into singlesif an outfielder knows how to play the ball off the wallbut the park's oddly designed outfield, with deep power alleys and walls of various heights, lends itself to routinely high amounts of doubles and triples being hit there. In 2021, that rate was 3.65 HR per 100 PA. While Nationals Park grades out as slightly hitter-friendly when it comes to scoring runs, collecting hits and legging out two-baggers, it only ranks in the top 10 in one of those categoriesdoubles (564)and just makes the cut as a pitcher-friendly venue over the past two years. Without question, the biggest surprise on this list is the inclusion of Yankee Stadium. Even before the fences came in, this park was one of those that yielded homers, but not all that many runs. A base hit is better than a strikeout, after all. In fact, San Francisco was home to one of only two ballparks (the other being Marlins Stadium in Miami) that didn't bear witness to at least 200 home runs over the past two seasons. Fly ball park factors correlated even more closely (0.73). Though the outfield dimensions are among the largest . In 2019, these events were the wall scrapers that barely went out of the yard. The ballpark consistently allows around 200 home runs a season, this season . I ran a difference in proportions test to compare the rates from both years; parks highlighted in red experienced a significant change at the alpha = .01 level, and parks highlighted in yellow experienced a significant change at the alpha = .05 level. Unlike traditional park factors, THE BAT's park factors are also independent of weather, so on a 90-degree day in Atlanta, SunTrust Park would play more hitter-friendly than these factors suggest. Expected Weighted On-base Average (xwOBA). Doubles totals mushroom here - lots of balls that would otherwise become fly ball outs, or homers, become doubles (and even singles). It took us until #10 to get to our first park factor above 100. 2021 MLB Home Run Derby Setup With the shortest corners in baseball310 feet to the 37-foot-tall Green Monster in left field, 302 feet to Pesky's Pole in rightbaseball's oldest stadium, Fenway Park, which opened in 1912, has been one of the game's most hitter-friendly stadiums for nearly as long. I feel this way about Dodger Stadium, too (and the data! Parks in this family tend to be doubles-deniers; this one has posted doubles park factors of 95 and 90 in 2022 and 2021. PETCO Park, Busch Stadium, Citi Field, Oakland Coliseum, and Tropicana Field are the most challenging parks to score runs in, knocking runs more than 10% below a neutral park. Pitchers arent any better. As I do in my other analysis here, I took all batted balls and compared actual performance to projections based on the application of MLB average production to each exit speed/launch angle bucket. Humidors or no humidors, Coors Field has beenand will continue to bethe most extreme hitter-friendly park in baseball due to its high altitude. Start time is 8 p.m. Ross Detwiler (12) Lowest mark is 145.0, less than two standard deviations above average only once. One of these reasons for varying splits is the differing of all Ballparks across the MLB. Even the crack of the bat oft proves misleading. #9 - Guaranteed Rate Field (White Sox) - 101.3 Overall Park Factor, 95.9 Fly Ball (17th), 103 Home Run (15th). Additionally, using partial-season data in addition to full-season numbers would only skew the results. The Colorado Rockies' home ballpark has an estimated area of 121,486 square feet in fair play. Offensively, you can't stand it. And this place thwarted grounder production long before Nolan Arenado arrived - its posted a sub-100 grounder factor in 7 of the last 8 seasons. Dallas Keuchel (11) Moniak's best offensive season was 2019 at Double A Reading, when he hit .252/.303/.439 in a hitter-friendly ballpark. per week - 9 months per year - Includes Benefits! 10 solid years without a sub-100 homer park factor for Minute Maid. Over the past two seasons, Citi Field has seen the seventh-fewest runs scored (1,239), the 12th-fewest home runs hit (304) and a slugging percentage (.372) that is the eighth-lowest in the game. Feb 14, 2021 The renovations at Oracle Park greatly impacted offense in San Francisco. #29 - Petco Park (Padres) - 89.3 Overall Park Factor, 77.3 Fly Ball (30th), 99 Home Run (17th). Typically one of the more difficult places for a player to pick up an extra-base hitevidenced by a .388 slugging percentage that ranks 20th out of the 30 ballparks in baseballthe 2014 figures for the home of the defending National League champions are skewed by a small sample size of only six games. Altitude is the catalyst - fly balls carry farther, fences are set back farther to increase size of outfield and its gaps, and this is the result, humidor or not. !function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var e in a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var t=document.getElementById("datawrapper-chart-"+e)||document.querySelector("iframe[src*='"+e+"']");t&&(t.style.height=a.data["datawrapper-height"][e]+"px")}}))}(); These are the top run-scoring environments in Major League Baseball, and Coors Field is the unrivaled top dog. MLB reportedly added humidors to five stadiums for the 2021 season, bringing the total league-wide to 10. If were comparing 2019 to 21 data, that change would explain the large positive difference in home run rate there. the fastest reactions and most direct routes in the Josh Shepardson is a featured writer at FantasyPros. It is something that happens to almost every team once a week. Coors dramatically inflates offense on liners, dramatically inflates doubles and triples, you name it. This is as high as this park will ever appear on this list. It would be a great development for the Phillies if things click for Moniak in his second taste of the bigs but the Phillies surely have their eyes on players around the league capable of playing center field, even this early . Do you see what's missing? Generally, Progressive is a relatively neutral park that performed in about as pitcher-friendly a manner as possible in 2022. 2022 marked the 10th straight season that PNC recorded a homer park factor below 100. Its always been a great park for triples, and in two of the last three seasons its been one of the best doubles parks in the game outside of Fenway. A crowd watches a fireworks show at Oriole Park at Camden Yards after a baseball game between the [+] Baltimore Orioles and the Cleveland Guardians, Friday, June 3, 2022, in Baltimore. 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