According to Kristie Ackert of the Daily News, the Mets have officially decided to move the right-center and right field fences in at Citi Field. The construction is expected to start near the end of the World Series.
This is the second time the Mets have moved the fences in at Citi Field. Following the 2011 season, the Mets brought the left field wall in 13 feet to 358, the right-center field wall in 25 feet to 390 and the right field wall in three feet to 375.
In 2011, the season the proceeding the fences coming in, the Mets hit 50 home runs at Citi Field with a team line of .262/.335/.391/.726. In 2012, with the new dimensions in place, they hit 67 home runs at home with a .242/.309/.370/.679 line. Clearly the changes did have an effect on the Mets ability to hit the ball out of Citi Field.
When talking about the possibility of moving the fences last month, Sandy Alderson said the team’s data showed some pretty specific benefits to bringing in the fences, Ackert said in her report.
“The GM pointed to Curtis Granderson, who hit just 18 home runs in his first season of a four-year deal with the Mets. Alderson said that according to team data, Granderson would have hit seven more home runs this year with the expected revised dimensions.”
Moving the fences in should also help David Wright whose power is to right center and is coming off the worst season of his career.
“It’s not about tailoring the ballpark to a particular player or a particular composition of team, it’s about making Citi Field as fan-friendly and as exciting as we can make it,” Sandy Alderson said last month. “I think they’ll be good for the game, good for the fans. I’m sure that one or two of our players will benefit as well.”
What do you think the new dimensions of Citi Field will be?
