The Orioles Give Up So Many Home Runs That They're Moving The Fence At Camden Yards Back
Sounds like we will have some changes in the ballpark that changed baseball. Camden Yards is going to be getting a bit of a facelift, but nothing serious. The left field dimensions will be pushed back a bit and the wall is going to be taller. Again nothing really to cry about, but it will be different. The team announced that the left field wall will be raised from 7 feet to around 12 feet in some spots and it will be moved back as far as 30 feet in some spots. Just going from the left field foul pole to the bullpens in left center. The construction will be done by Opening Day and hopefully it levels the playing field between pitchers and hitters in this ballpark. It will still be a hitters park, but now it will play a little bigger. With 9 of the top 10 Orioles hitting prospects being lefty this should help them a little.
It's no secret the Orioles pitchers have not been good recently, or ever really. Since Camden Yards opened up in 1992 they've given up 5,911 home runs. That is by far the most. In 2019 alone the club set the record for most home runs given up in a season with 305. It's got to be a nightmare to pitch in, especially if you're a young pitcher going against teams like the Yankees, Rays, Blue Jays, and Red Sox.
Obviously not all ballparks have been open since then, but still, it's not great. Over the last 3 seasons alone Camden Yards has allowed 655 home runs. Say it's the weather, the ballpark, or the pitching, it's a problem. Part of that problem is the pitching staff the Orioles send out there. They need to improve their pitching staff, that is a given. You can't bitch abut home runs given up when you're trotting out Matt Harvey, and other guys who shouldn't be in the bigs. Part of the problem with their pitching staff is they haven't hit big in the draft.
Some guys like Dylan Bundy and Kevin Gausman didn't pan out in Baltimore. Obviously Gausman has found success elsewhere, but it's a problem here. Or is it? The Orioles actually have a decent bit of depth in the minors with pitchers. Grayson Rodriguez is the top pitching prospect, DL Hall is one of the top lefty prospects, they've got a ton of other really good arms in the system that will be up soon, so how do you help these young arms in a ballpark where the ball flies out? Push the walls back.
Left field is 333 feet but that is also with an asterisk because if you talk to some of the players, that is BS. Apparently it's not 333 feet. Left center is 364 feet and that is one of the shortest in baseball. So with the left field wall being pushed back the hope is that it will even the playing field for the Orioles young pitching staff and give them some leeway. Camden was also among the top ballparks in home runs robbed, so obviously this will help that on both sides. You've got some great fielding outfielders in Cedric Mullins and Austin Hays who can go get it, but now they may not be able to get some of those balls. I'm not a fan of the 12 foot wall. Keep it at 7! Keep those home run robberies in play! One of the most entertaining plays in baseball.
They've done the research and as an Orioles fan you have to trust that this is the right move. If it helps the young pitching staff and can maybe convince a few free agent pitchers to join up than why not? Who cares if you remove a few rows of seats and move the wall out? If it helps the team win it's a good move. I'm in that camp, but there are people who are FURIOUS that a wall is going to move back a few feet. If it helps not give up home runs I don't care what happens. But part of it is also on the pitchers to not serve up meatballs like you're a chef. That also can't happen. I'm all for it those, move those walls back baby!
PS. I can tell you one guy who was pissing and moaning about higher fences....