Posted in 2020 in FAQ
The quirks from one ballpark to another are what make baseball great. Some stadiums favor pitchers. Some favor 2nd basemen. Some favor Babe Ruth. Is there any truth to these assertions? And why is Petco Park considered a Pitcher’s Park?
Marine LayerConversely, Petco Park is often blanketed by San Diego’s marine layer, which has a dutch oven effect dampening escaping home run balls making for an easier day for pitchers.
Other weather factors also come into play. A hotter stadium can see more balls fly out of the park. And consistent winds can play a role in keeping balls in or lifting them out.
More Pitcher Friendly DetailsShort fences can hurt a pitcher’s chances of fairing well, given the shorter hop required to clear the park. Meanwhile a stadium like Oakland’s benefits from a vast foul ball area. More pop-fly fouls caught means fewer at-bats to score.
What are Humidors
Humidors, like the ones you know for cigars, create a climate-controlled environment to store all baseballs at a consistent humidity across all MLB ballparks. The goal is to provide a more competitive balance between offense (home runs) and defense (pitchers). To date, the net result in places like Colorado and Arizona, has been in pitcher-friendly. Those ballparks produce a lot of home runs. The humidors prevent baseballs from drying out, which reduces the “bounce” and how much extra a ball will pop off the bat. subsequently helps pitchers, as dry baseballs have more bounce and can go further off the bat.
2012: 0.67 – ranked 29th, vs. MLB avg: 1.02 homers per game
2013: 0.90 – ranked 22nd, vs. MLB avg: 0.96 homers per game
2014: 0.62 – ranked 30th, vs. MLB avg: 0.86 homers per game
2015: 1.02 – ranked 15th, vs. MLB avg: 1.01 homers per game
2016: 1.09 – ranked 21st, vs. MLB avg: 1.16 homers per game
2017: 1.12 – ranked 23rd, vs. MLB avg: 1.26 homers per game
2018: 1.06 – ranked 19th, vs. MLB avg: 1.15 homers per game
2019: 1.25 – ranked 28th, vs. MLB avg: 1.39 homers per game
2020: 1.44 – ranked 9th, vs. MLB avg: 1.28 homers per game
2021: 1.13 – ranked 23rd, vs. MLB avg: 1.22 homers per game
The least pitcher friendly ballparks? Coors Field, Arlington Stadium (Texas Rangers) and Yankee Stadium. Thanks Babe!
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