Metrodome morphs into AL’s toughest hitters park
Posted on November 14th, 2008 – 11:23 AMBy Joe Christensen
Remember when the Metrodome was known as a hitter’s paradise? Not anymore. American League hitters probably can’t wait to say good riddance to the place after the 2009 season, even if there are cold days ahead at Target Field.
According to Baseball-Reference.com, the Dome was tied with Kansas City’s Kauffman Stadium this year as the least-friendly hitter’s park in the AL.
The site uses a Total Baseball formula called park adjustments to determine which ballparks favor hitters and which favor pitchers. A number above 100 is better for hitters and below 100 is better for pitchers.
I’ll be away from this blog for a few days, as La Velle keeps tabs on the Twins, but in the meantime, think about some of these numbers as you continue pondering various offseason moves.
(*) Are Garrett Atkins’ numbers helped by Coors Field in the Humidor Era? Yes.
(*) Would Kevin Kouzmanoff’s numbers improve if he left Petco Park? Oh, yes.
(*) What about Adrian Beltre, coming from Seattle? J.J. Hardy from Milwaukee? Yunel Escobar from Atlanta?
First, here’s a look at each team’s batting park factors (BPF) and pitching park factors (PPF) from this season. You can find them at the top of each team’s page on Baseball-Reference.com.
American League
Team - BPF PPF
Twins - 94 94
Royals - 94 95
Mariners - 95 97
Athletics - 97 97
Blue Jays - 99 98
Angels - 100 99
Indians - 100 100
Tigers - 102 103
Orioles - 102 103
Rays - 103 102
White Sox - 103 103
Yankees - 103 103
Rangers - 103 104
Red Sox - 105 103
National League
Team BPF PPF
Padres - 88 89
Pirates - 94 95
Dodgers - 95 94
Marlins - 97 97
Brewers - 98 97
Cardinals - 98 98
Mets - 100 99
Braves - 101 101
Nationals - 101 102
Phillies - 102 101
Cubs - 102 101
Astros - 103 103
Giants - 103 104
Reds - 104 105
Rockies - 105 106
D-backs - 108 108
The NL MVP award will be announced Monday, followed by the AL MVP on Tuesday, and I’d expect Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau both to finish among the top seven AL vote getters.
When you look back on their seasons, compared to, say Dustin Pedroia’s for Boston, you realize how much tougher it was putting up those numbers in the Metrodome.
Let’s stroll back through time, looking at the batting and pitching park factors at the Metrodome over the years, seeing the ride it’s taken from Hitter’s Haven to Hitter’s Hades.
Metrodome history
Year - BPF PPF
2008 - 94 94
2007 - 92 93 (This wasn’t the AL low; Oakland had 89, 89)
2006 - 99 99
2005 - 104 103
2004 - 104 104 (FieldTurf installed before the season, slowing ground balls)
2003 - 101 100
2002 - 97 97
2001 - 102 102
2000 - 106 107
1999 - 105 107
1998 - 99 100
1997 - 99 100
1996 - 104 104
1995 - 101 103
1994 - 97 99 (LF Plexiglas removed, dugouts moved three rows closer to field)
1993 - 102 103
1992 - 101 100
1991 - 106 104
1990 - 108 109
1989 - 106 106
1988 - 106 106
1987 - 95 95 (Unexplained dip as Twins win first World Series title)
1986 - 107 108
1985 - 103 104
1984 - 105 105
1983 - 105 107 (LF Plexiglas installed; Baggie added, RF fence 23-feet tall)
1982 - 101 102
64 Responses to "Metrodome morphs into AL’s toughest hitters park"
this is awesome!!!
Petco is SO much worse than anywhere else! Still don’t think that would make a huge difference for Kouzmanoff.
but it definitely adds value to just how good Mauer and Morneau were. If only voters saw this before voting for Pedroia.
Kouzmanoff walked 23 times and struck out 139 times. It doesn’t matter about the friendliness of the ball park if you do not put the ball in play. Go get Hardy and worry about 3rd base after he is secured.
But I don’t think Petco contributes to a guy striking out 139 times, however.
Got ya.
I hate to disagreed about Atkins, but JC is incorrect in some regards to Atkins numbers being inflated at Coors Field. His batting average might be, yes, but not the power numbers.
They are basically even throughout his career. One could argue that he has more career HRs away from Coors (44 at home and 45 on the road) because he has more at bats. Well, 50 at bats is not much in a 6 year career.
Whereas Kouzmanoff is the younger of the 2, Atkins fielding appears to be better. At least according to the stats as I don’t watch alot of Rockies or Padres games. And I would think that the FO would be making a move for right now and not having to wait 3-4 years for Kouzmanoff to fine tune his fielding.
Even dropping Atkin’s career batting average of .298 down 15 pts (I just picked this # out of the air to use as an example) to consider being away from Coors, that still is above .280. And with more power than Buscher, Harris, Tolbert and Punto combined, that looks nice.
Seth,
IMHO I think this does help Kouzmanoff as a viable 3rd base option. His road splits are very good. His OPS is something like .100 higher on the road. Playing in that hitters graveyard would be terrible on a hitter. The problem is I see DY as a match for him and I’d rather have DY and sign Blake for next year. But if a deal were swung for Kouz I’d consider it a solid upgrade at 3 bage.
Gus is correct. Coors field is no longer a ballpark that you just whack the ball out of. The ball carries well still (even post humidor), but the OF is large and spacious. It gives up a lot of hits because you have a lot of ground to cover, but the power numbers should not be impacted greatly.
Anyone who has watched Atkins hit a lot will realize he has a great approach and covers the plate well. He can just flat hit so I am less worried about his BA dropping significantly than others.
As for his fielding being ave to good…NO. He is horrible in the field. I cannot defend his defense! His range is not good.
I was just reading the USA TODAY early this morning, and they have two top free agents as MOST LIKELY TO LAND IN MINNESOTA. I would like to know what others think of this…
They had Orlando Cabrera, and Brandon Lyon both listed as coming to The Twins.
I don’t see either guy coming here… The Pohlads don’t open their wallet, and I don’t see Braindead Bill Smith making a move like Cabrera unless he gets some kind of psychotic steal and signs him for 5 million a year.
Lyon would be intriguing if we didn’t have 75 pitching prospects ROTTING in the minor leagues, and the cheapest owner in baseball.
[…] Around the Majors – […]
Gus,
Kouzmanoff is the better fielder hands down, but Kouzmanoff’s low BA, and terrible OB% and horrible strikeout numbers scare me…
Atkins biggest problem seems to be his desire for a huge contract, and his refusal to discuss a contract with the rockies for the last 3 years seems to me that he’s all about the biggest paycheck as apposed to playing the game and letting the money work itself out.
That’s why I like JJ Hardy at SS, and then platooning Tolbert and Buscher at 3rd base should work.
Cabrera is a Type A free agent, which means the Twins would have to give up their first-round draft pick in 2009. I just can’t see that happening, not for Cabrera, or anyone else. They value their draft choices more than most teams do.
A thought could be taken than to move Casilla to SS (I think he has very good range) to cover up the lack of range with Atkins and start Tolbert or Harris at 2B.
I just think the plus side of Atkins bat compared to what he have had at 3B that last couple of years outweights the negative side of his fielding.
This is like what came first the chicken or the egg.
The Twins, to the naked eye, have good pitching and poor hitting. So does that lead to the park factors or do the park factors lead to the poor hitting and good pitching? That’s the 64K question.
Even dropping Atkin’s career batting average of .298 down 15 pts (I just picked this # out of the air to use as an example) to consider being away from Coors, that still is above .280
Well, that’s where OPS+ is useful (neutralizing for park effects - using the exact factors Joe C posted - and comparing with the league the player is playing. Average OPS+ =100)
Career OPS+ :
Buscher: 93
Harris: 97
Kouzmanoff: 102
Atkins: 108
Edwin Encarnacion: 103
Glaus: 121
Beltre: 107
Ty Wigginton: 105
Blake: 105
Mora: 110
Lowell: 110
(they are primarily grouped by age)
from all of those players Beltre, Glaus and Wigginton have plus defense; Blake, Mora, Lowell and Harris are average; Encarnacion, Atkins, Kouzmanoff and Buscher are below average.
Pick your poison…
Cabrera also seems to have the reputation of not being the best in the clubhouse, which when it comes to the Twins, that is a major fact. I believe that is one of the reason that Garza was traded so easily.
And if Atkins really is just a “show me the money” type of guy, then when his time is up after 2010, maybe Valencia or Hughes will be ready and competent enough to become the Twins everyday 3B.
malate. I agree with you, and I hadn’t even thought of their love of the draft picks.
Besides if they went after a top line SS they would go after Eckstein… he would fit in best with this particular squad, and his playoff pedigree is 2nd only to Jeter when it comes to postseason SS’s go.
Twins pitchers had a 5.10 ERA on the road, and 3.27 ERA at home this year. That’s pretty fluky, and it would have a pretty large effect on the PFs. I think it’s more that our pitchers like home cooking and their own pillows rather than that anything else changed that dramatically.
jama,
not much of a chicken and egg for the Twins… The metrodome did not expand in all of those years. Pitching improved, that’s why the difference in the park factors.
Gus -
“Even dropping Atkin’s career batting average of .298 down 15 pts (I just picked this # out of the air to use as an example) to consider being away from Coors, that still is above .280″
You need to actually look at Atkins’ numbers. Here are his career splits :
Home - .337/.394/.527
Away - .260/.328/.424
Differences - .077/.066/.103
He doesn’t lose 15 points in average by leaving Coors. He loses 77 points. He is strictly a product of Coors.
value wise it would seem signing blake would make the most sense. all the others will cost players of value (not left overs) and even paying him 18m over 3 yr it’s not much more then baltre at 12m over one. the over all #’s are not that much diff.
cuddy for atkins i could live with, both fill a team need. if you want to trade with the padre’s do young or span for headley, young has proven more then headley, both had sky high expectations. not sure what kind of fielder headley is at 3b?
As for Brandon Lyon, he isnt the power pitcher we need in the bullpen. We have plenty of guys who throw strikes with 90- 92MPH fastballs. We need a guy who can get a K with bases loaded and 0 out.
I am not against getting him, i think he can be an asset, but if he was our only addition to the bullpen then i wouldnt be very excited
The personal attacks on Bill Smith should be replaced by organizational attacks on the Twins Front Office and Scouting Departments. I am fairly certain that Bill Smith did not do the player evaluations on Livan, Monroe, Lamb, Everett and all the participants in the Delmon-Garza trade.
The Twins talent evaluators (a group to which Bill Smith does not belong) made their mistakes and BS sank with their scouting reports in his hand.
the defense between beltre and blake is a huge difference…blake is solid like buscher and harris are solid. Beltre’s defense is superior.
I will not get wild about Blake, he is 35 years old, as fans who are tired of lamb and everette signings, how do we endorse a 35 year old journeyman with a couple of solid seasons?
I don’t care if Atkins only hits .260 with 20 HR’s and 75 RBI’s thats still better than a Buscher Harris combo.
This stuff about Atkins being a terrible fielder isn’t really backed up by his fielding stats from the last 2 seasons.
If I were the twins and had any inside info on what the real health status of Joe Crede were then he could be a better option than Atkins at third.
Atkins definately isn’t worse with his glove than Buscher.
If Atkins is just about the money than his best seasons will be the next 2!!
Gus,
please let’s not bring up Garza’s name anymore. In 15 years from now people will be talking about this trade like they talk about Milt Pappas for Lou Brock!
Bill Smith started off his career as a GM with his head in cement and his pants around his ankles.
I pray that this year he does a better job.
Here’s my idea on JJ HARDY:
Perkins, Robertson, Tolbert, and Joe Benson for JJ Hardy
and sign Casey Blake for a 3 year deal at 19 million dollars. 7.5 million, 7, million, and 4.5 million mutial option (with a 3 million dollar buyout)…
To me its not about atkins, its about what we give up for atkins.
DY no way, blackburn probably, blackburn + no way, cuddyer no way
thrylos
Good point. So really the Dome isn’t the best pitchers park right?
This stuff about Atkins being a terrible fielder isn’t really backed up by his fielding stats from the last 2 seasons.
Sure it is. Here are the plus minus numbers from the last 3 seasons:
http://www.billjamesonline.net/fieldingbible/charts/leaders1-0608.gif
Atkins has been the second worse third baseman after Encanancion.
the Dome isn’t the best pitchers park right
nope. Just happens to have some pretty good home pitching. Petco is
If you can do a straight up trade Cuddyer for Atkins you do it in a heartbeat.
Cuddyer is a nice guy, but 1 season doesn’t make the man… especially at 8 million a year per, and with a crowded OF as it is…
If you have to add a minor leaguer or 2 with Cuddyer… Atkins is wonderful.
If you have to give up one of the starting 5… it’s too much.
shameless wrote
This stuff about Atkins being a terrible fielder isn’t really backed up by his fielding stats from the last 2 seasons.
I am a huge Atkins fan and want him here, but this is not true. All the advanced defensive stats that take into account range and difficulty of play have Atkins near dead last at both 1st and 3rd base. His fielding % is ok, but that is a minimal part of determining a good fielder.
As thrylos pointed out he is ranked 2nd worst over the last 3 years at 3rd. That is really impressive considering he played most of his games last year at 1st base. If not for that he would be dead last.
Perhaps the Dome is considered a pitchers park now becuase the Twins can’t hit any home runs.
Pete D,
Some players just hit better at home vs the road. If Coors Field were the sole reason for his splits all Rockies players would have the same type of splits. Coors Field’s ballpark adjustment isn’t that large.
He is a damn good hitter and it will be proven out over the course of his career.
Aaron…
Being out of position
Having a lack of range
Having an average arm
Getting bad jumps on balls
Showing a personality (via his refusal to work with Rockies management) that he is unwilling to put in the effor to get better defensively which isn’t easy as you get older…
What part of that is wrong in assessing Atkins defensively?
That being said I would still take him in a deal for Cuddyer, and I would take Atkins over Buscher or Harris.
Robert… The Dome is a more pitcher friendly park because Radke isn’t giving up 34 bombs a year, Milton isn’t throwing batting practice, and the kids they have in the rotation don’t walk batters to give the opposing teams runs… that has more to do with it than the Twins lack of power. They scored the 3rd most runs in baseball last season I believe…
true atkins home and away splits are bad but;
cuddy’s, h-.295/.365/.488
away-.241/.323/.395
diff. .54/.42/.93 aren’t much better!
“You need to actually look at Atkins’ numbers. Here are his career splits :
Home - .337/.394/.527
Away - .260/.328/.424
Differences - .077/.066/.103″
BC Beneke,
I am 100% in agreement that he stinks defensively. Not sure why your post was directed to me. I don’t think it is a lack of effort though. You make it seem like Atkins is not liked in Colorado, he has never had any issues that I am aware of with work ethic, ext.
Milt Pappas was traded for Frank Robinson.
O Cabrera quit on the White Sox and was sulking the first half of the year, when they wanted him to lead off. The Twins will not touch him.
I would prefer complete players over power, Furcal,O Hudson move Casilla, Beltre
thrylos … the plus minus doesn’t have much to do with how good of a fielder the player is.
“from all of those players Beltre, Glaus and Wigginton have plus defense;” - thrylos
Wigginton’s plus/minus: -26
Also, Utley is considered a poor defensive second baseman throughout the league and yet he has the highest plus/minus ratio in all of baseball. So he must be the best fielder in all of baseball then right???
DickyBuzz…
You got it, but may have missed my joke about it.
Dicky,
Sometimes my sense of humor doesn’t translate (and I just look really angry on here…)
matt
Are you maybe confusing Utley with Uggla re defense? I’ve never heard that Utley was that bad.
My bad about Wigginton. I meant to put Lowell on the plus defense list instead of Wigginton.
The plus/minus system is considered the best way to rate defense, so it has everything to do with how good or bad a fielder is.
I second the thought that you are confusing Utley with Uggla.
My bad Aaron
Uggla is a terrible fielder, Utley is slightly better than average.
“A player gets credit (a “plus” number) if he makes a play that at least one other player at his position missed during the season, and he loses credit (a “minus” number) if he misses a play that at least one player made.” - Plus/Minus System
It seems to me that at least one player will miss at least one routine play during each season, so then each player should get a plus for a routine play.
you are missing the next sentence in that description:
The size of the credit is directly related to how often players make the play.
which is the kicker
plus/minus this, pct that, all depends on the eye putting in the data. one guys + play may not be the next guys. jeter has won gold gloves? that make sense?
i’d rather judge how good the guy is by watching him play. having said that i’ll take the guy that can hit 24 hr even if he makes a few more errors. if buscher could hit the ball out of the park i could live with his (by my eyes) very poor fielding (he can catch just can’t throw).
My bad … I still do not think its the most accurate way to assess how good a fielder is (especially with Utley - he is basically ranked two times better than any other second baseman in baseball and yet you never hear his name brought up for either gold gloves or any fielding discussions. Usually when a player draws attention to their play with their offensive production, people start paying attention to their defense too.)
I am not that concerned about fielding at third. A poor fielder might commit 20 errors in a season? Of those how many will result in an extra run or runs for the other team? I realize there are other issues like not being able to get to balls, which would not count as an error. But we are talking about adding a player that can potentially contribute 25+ homeruns and 90+ RBIs. This is an adequate tradeoff.
I guess the way I see it, it is not 4 outfielders sharing three outfield spots but rather 5 outfielders sharing three outfield spots, a DH spot, and just maybe, a few innings at first base as well as pinchhitting for other position players. If everyones stays healthy, and that’s a big if, they all could see 500 plate appearances in about 145 games each. I don’t see where we have a surplus really. It sounds like a managers dream.
Baseball reference said this about the twins. Season W-L: 88 - 75, Pythagorean W-L: 89-74. Wouldn’t that have been nice?
rumor is the braves deal for peavy is off. they were offing escobar and 3 other players. while blackburn isn’t considered an ace like peavy maybe him and a prospect for escobar to fill our ss hole for several yrs. peavy’s era is a full point higher on the road (see petco above) and facing a pitcher 3 times a gm, kind of makes me think he isn’t as good as advertised. bill it would be worth a call!
These are the least hitter parks b/c they have the least power hitters. Get power hitters they magically become hitter parks—how weird
You compare Wilf and Pohlad, and Pohlad acts like he is satisfied with mediocrity (does he have no shame?). How can the Twins be so tight when in the NBA, NFL, NHL there are no ” large / small market” stigmas or labels!!
Somebody explain that to me, to all of us!!
How can the Twins be so tight when in the NBA, NFL, NHL there are no ” large / small market” stigmas or labels!!
Somebody explain that to me, to all of us!!
I don’t follow the NHL (I think that it does also), but in the NFL and NBA, unlike the MLB, there is a salary cap. Both NBA and NFL have team salary floor minimum (all teams have to spend more than that). For 2008 teams have to spend between $116 and $98.8 million in the NFL, and between $58.68 and $40some million, otherwise they get taxed by the league.
Totally different beasts
ggd -
“true atkins home and away splits are bad but;
cuddy’s, h-.295/.365/.488
away-.241/.323/.395
diff. .54/.42/.93 aren’t much better!”
They aren’t much better at all. However, I don’t see how this is an argument in Atkins’ favor.
AaronK -
“Some players just hit better at home vs the road. If Coors Field were the sole reason for his splits all Rockies players would have the same type of splits. Coors Field’s ballpark adjustment isn’t that large.”
Colorado had the 6th best home OPS in MLB this year. They were ranked 24th in the league in road OPS. The drop 105 points of OPS when they go on the road. Doing a quick and dirty look at the numbers, it appears the only other team close to that number is Texas, who dropped 100 points in OPS going from home to road. And Texas is well known as a hitters park.
Colorado is a hitters park. Offensive numbers are inflated there. For example, here are the home/road splits for the entire NL :
H - .265/.338/.421
A - .256/.325/.405
and for the Rockies :
H - .278/.350/.454
A - .249/.322/.377
Differences :
NL - .009/.013/.016
CO - .029/.028/.077
The Rockies are losing 76 more points in OPS than the average NL team when they go on the road.
Again, all this really proves is that Colorado is a hitters park, and inflates offensive numbers. And it REALLY seems to help Atkins. He’s much more likely to hit .260 than .298. The fact that his numbers have declined for 3 years now should also raise a flag for anyone interested in acquiring his services.
thrylos98 - thank you. MLB sure sucks — what are the pros and cons to the difference between these leagues as it relates to MLB?
what are the pros and cons to the difference between these leagues as it relates to MLB?
Not Pros and Cons but just some points (btw, mainly compared to the NFL because I do not watch hockey and I maybe catch 2 NBA games a season max):
For one, it is harder to have “dynasties” in the other leagues, because the players in a team that wins demand more money next year and to sign them all, it would make a team go over the cap, thus there is more player movement.
Second: NFL contracts are not guaranteed unlike baseball. If an NFL team signs someone for 10 years $200 mil, they can cut him in year 2 and owe him nothing. Not in baseball. A club has to pay the player whether they cut him or not.
Third: There is no concept of “club control” in the NFL, unlike the MLB. In the MLB drafted players once they sing with a team are under club control while in the minors and once in the majors for 6 years (the last 3 they are arbitration eligible and are not able to be sent down - i.e. they are out of “options”) Heck, NFL does not even have minor leagues 
Fourth: League revenue (i.e. TV money and licensed stuff -jersey’s, caps, anything with the NFL logo) is distributed exactly evenly in NFL; not in the MLB (some $ is distributed evenly in the MLB, but not most)…
I am not going to continue because this will take a long time… The bottom line is that MLB is pretty antiquated and this serves some owners (think the haves: NYY, NYM, BOS, LAD, LAA, CHC etc) and the player’s union. With the economy being in a downspin, unless it recovers by 2011 when the collective bargaining agreement in MLB expires, expect lotsa fun in that off-season…
Thank you, I have been saying this for a while
[…] Blake also strikes out a lot. Also, do we think that Blake would hit 21 homers for the Twins? As Joe Christensen noted on his blog, the Metrodome was the most pitcher-friendly AL stadium in […]
One of the reasons Coors has such extreme home/road splits is that the batters adjust to hitting differently at Coors (breaking pitches don’t break as much). When players leave Coors for another team they are generally never as bad as their road numbers would make you guess. One reason is players in general do worse on the road. Another reason is that the Rockies play a bunch of road games in Petco and Dodger Stadium - the two worst hitters parks in the majors.
The Dome is in general a pitchers park now because the new stadiums that have been built have been more hitter friendly. Turf is generally kinder to pitchers than grass. Larger dimensions make it harder to hit HR. Large foul territory is one reason Oakland is always at the bottom of the list. The Dome inflates doubles but deflates batting average and HRs.
