The Baltimore Orioles had the worst ERA in baseball this past season at a grotesque 5.84. Next season though, they could benefit from a structural change being made to their home ballpark.
The Orioles revealed to the Baltimore Sun on Tuesday that they have begun construction to alter the left-field wall in Oriole Park at Camden Yards, their home stadium. The team will be raising the height of the wall from seven feet to 12 feet and moving the wall back by up to 30 feet.
The short wall had been a big advantage for hitters. The Sun notes that the 364-foot distance to the left-center wall was one of the league’s shortest. Oriole Park also had the single shortest left-center wall in all of baseball.
According to ESPN’s Park Factor statistics, Oriole Park was the seventh-friendliest ballpark for hitters in 2021. The new left-field dimensions will not change that entirely. But they could help tip the scales back towards pitchers (as well as cause slightly less havoc in the outfield over there).
Photo: Aug 5, 2019; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Orioles manager Brandon Hyde (18) stands on the field during the second inning against the New York Yankees at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
