"One of the charms of baseball is that ballparks are all different. Sure, there is uniformity within the foul lines, especially in the infield, but each plays differently based on a variety of factors. While this has been a relatively quiet offseason with respect to teams playing in new or renovated home parks, one major change is in Kauffman Stadium, where the Kansas City Royals announced that the outfield fences will be moved in and lowered."
"Outfield fences This is the first change questioned when a team moves or has a park renovated. While the impact of a change in any fence's distance from home plate is expected, the height of the fence is an underappreciated component. In 2018, the yellow line denoting a home run on the right field wall in Angels Stadium was lowered by ten inches."
Ballpark design and internal features materially influence offensive and pitching outcomes and fantasy value. Kauffman Stadium will have its outfield fences moved in and lowered, increasing run and home-run likelihood. Tropicana Field will host the Rays again with improved amenities but an unchanged playing surface, so playing characteristics should remain similar. Sutter Health Park now has a full season of data to refine its park factor profile. Important influences include outfield fence distance and height, which alter home-run rates, and foul-territory size and placement, which can benefit pitchers by creating outs on foul balls.
Read at ESPN.com
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