The Baltimore Orioles will change the dimensions of left field at Camden Yards for the second time in three years before Opening Day in 2025, Mike Elias, senior baseball operations manager, announced Friday. According to this graphic released by the team, the left field fence will be moved forward by up to 26 feet in some locations:
Elias explained that the Orioles originally moved the left field fence in response to an overly friendly right-handed hitting environment. Now, three years later, Elias and his company are ready to admit that they may have “overcorrected.”
“The feedback we got over three years of experience was that it was a directional move, but we overcorrected… and the offensive environment shifted a little bit and we got more than we expected. And that is something that we are modifying and adapting,” Elias told reporters. according to WBAL. “We have developed a plan to find a happier medium for these dimensions before 2025.”
As for Elias, here's a look at offensive production over the years on balls hit to left and left midfield at Camden – note that “Walltimore,” as it was called, implemented in the 2021-22 offseason became:
2020 | 43 | .925 |
2021 | 134 | 1,009 |
2022 | 60 | .849 |
2023 | 48 | .826 |
2024 | 54 | .841 |
Keep in mind that the 2020 season was shortened by the global COVID-19 pandemic, meaning Camden recorded almost more home runs to left field in 30 games than they did in 2023 or 2024 regular seasons.
We'll have to wait and see if the Orioles can find a sweet spot between this and the launch pad days. In the near future, these changes should make them a little more attractive to all right-handed free agents.
