As was reported on Tuesday by Kristie Ackert of the Daily News, the Mets are poised to renovate the dimensions of Citi Field for the second time in four years. Once again the team plans to bring in the fences, this time concentrating their efforts on the right-center and right field walls.
Why do this, you may ask. Citi Field ranked 7th in home runs surrendered in 2014 and it was tied for 8th in 2013. So over the past few seasons, Citi has been neither hitter nor pitcher friendly. So what’s to be gained?
The easy answer is that despite Sandy Alderson’s assertion that these changes aren’t designed to tailor the ballpark to any particular players, it is. Both David Wright and Curtis Granderson stand to benefit the most. Is that the right thing to do? Reaction, as is always the case with the Mets’ fan base, has been mixed. There are two prevailing arguments against moving the fences in again.
The most popular opinion is that doing so will adversely impact the Mets young pitching staff. This one has it’s merits. Of course, if the new Citi Field dimensions would promote more home runs for the home team, it’s reasonable to assume the same for the visitors. However, isn’t it also reasonable to think that the better pitching staff will prevail regardless of the dimensions?
Johnny Cueto didn’t seem to struggle in posting a 2.25 ERA despite half his starts coming in the band box that is Great American Ball Park. The same can be said for Cole Hamels and his 2.46 ERA playing in the small confines of Citizens Bank Park. Does this mean that Mets pitchers won’t be negatively impacted? Of course not. But it does illustrate that very good pitchers are just as capable of putting up excellent numbers even in stadiums that are regarded as hitter friendly.
The second and most frustrating argument by those against the changes is simply this…Get better players! That view is often partnered with the oh so popular, “opposing teams didn’t struggle to hit home runs at Citi Field.”
Although that may be true (71 vs. 59), getting better players isn’t nearly as easy as it sounds. Power is in steep demand. Only eleven players mustered 30 or more home runs in 2014. Given the current Mets ownership and front office combination, such players aren’t as likely to find their way to Queens as they once were. So why not take steps to assist those players who are already here?
There’s also another added benefit to bringing in the walls. The Mets are still trying to overcome the mental stigma attached to Citi Field since its construction.The park is still in their heads and many players openly admit to how difficult Citi Field is for hitters. And don’t think for one second that those notions wouldn’t play into a free agent’s decision making process in the future. So while it may not be this Winter, should the Mets ever re-enter the big-ticket free agent market again, it would be beneficial if their ballpark wasn’t working against them.
If it’s a more immediate impact you prefer, think about what a shorter porch would mean to the outfield defense. Juan Lagares could play a few more steps in, thus allowing him to steal even more hits in shallow center field. An aging Curtis Granderson – or some other acquisition in the not so distant future – would have that much less room to cover in right making limited range a lesser concern. Assuming tour pitchers can continue to keep the ball in the building, it’s very likely many of those balls that dropped in will now be tracked down. I realize that this too works both ways, however, with outfield defense being one of our strengths, the Mets may benefit more than the visiting teams in this scenario.
As is the case with most things baseball, winning cures all ills. Will a smaller Citi Field lead to more wins? I can’t predict the future, but I’m confident that it’s more likely to help the franchise than hurt it in the long run.
The Mets have yet to make a playoff appearance, or even post a winning season since Citi Field opened. The ballpark is gorgeous, but it has been a burden to many of the team’s best players. If making these alterations helps their performance or even their psyche, it’s something the team brass had to consider and it now appears they’ll move forward with the plan. Citi Field is changing again. Hopefully, it’s not the biggest change we see this winter, but on its own it was the right call.
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