WITH those two minor-league parks entering the scene (and a minor-league roster attempting to fend for itself in Denver), we could be seeing some unusual numbers across the game's thirty parks this season.
Let's take a look at the summary data as of Sunday, May 11:
WE have sorted the data here in descending order of runs per game--remember that average rep the runs per team per game: to get the average number runs scored by both teams, you must remember to multiply by two.
The range of offense across the parks is exceptionally wide right now: history tells us that there will be a reasonable amount of convergence occurring between now and the end of the season.
WHAT the Orioles did to their pitching staff by moving the left-field fence in (again) might involve a class action suit--that 1.91 HR/G total is beyond surreal. Camden Yards is neck-and-neck with Coors Field when it comes to robust offense.
Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City is the polar opposite, with 1968-like offensive levels (3.24 R/G, 0.57 HR/G).
Another way to put this: so much ballpark bifurcation, so little time...
Meanwhile, the two minor league parks are taking different paths in terms of run scoring. The A's temporary (?) home in West Sacramento is keeping within striking distance of Denver and Baltimore, and the A's pitchers are showing the difference in their performance (8-13, 5.81 ERA at home; 14-7, 3.61 on the road).
IN Tampa Bay, Steinbrenner Field is shaping up to be a pretty neutral park. The thought was that its cozy Yankee Stadium-like dimensions would bring it in as a homer haven; but their current rate (1.16) is merely above average (it's 1.40 HR/G in the Bronx).
Note that the color coding is heat-map oriented: extreme above or below average values are shown in blue or yellow-orange respectively.
Remember that we calculate our park factors differently from the rest of the analytical mob--we calculate using both aggregate park OPS and R/G, then average them together. We like to show the differences in each measure, which is why you have the three figures to look at, with the rightmost column being our "final word" on the subject.
AND yes, we put the HR/G in red because someone keeps reminding us that chicks dig the long ball. Enjoy it, ladies!
