Ballpark review: American League

by Mike Harmon

Updated: February 9, 2008, 5:00 PM EST Comment

I've already presented my preliminary position-by-position rankings in anticipation of the beginning of draft season. Now, I turn my attention to one of the factors considered by fantasy players as they slot prospective draft picks. The ballpark effect can be overblown at times, but there's no denying the boost given to an offensive player's stats by regular at-bats in Coors Field, Citizens Bank Ballpark or U.S. Cellular Field. Naturally, pitching is impacted equally in a negative fashion in these venues.

In this two-part series, I'll review the stadium dimensions and some statistical tidbits to help you in the decision-making process. I'll start in the power-packed American League East with the defending champions.

AL East

Baltimore: Oriole Park

The most storied and celebrated of the new era of ballparks, 2008 marks the 17th year of operation for Oriole Park at Camden Yards. It has an interesting design with one of the deepest left field fences in the game (333 feet) and absolutely huge power alleys (410 in left-center). That leaves a tremendous amount of ground to be covered by outfielders. As such, this is a decent park in which to generate runs (10.54 per game in 2007, third in the American League). The Orioles ranked eighth in all of Major League Baseball in home batting average (.280). Unfortunately, the pitching staff produced a home ERA of 5.36, the worst in all of baseball. Pitching in the AL East is not for the faint of heart.

Boston: Fenway Park

The 37-foot Green Monster in left field offsets the short 310-foot distance from home plate. Similarly, the short porch straight down the right field line (302 feet) is trumped by a deep right-center field fence (approximately 380 feet). The convergence of these strange angles and the mammoth green wall holds home run totals down. During the past three seasons, Fenway Park has ranked in the bottom five in the American League in home runs hit by Red Sox sluggers and opponents. However, the peculiar outfield angles and the aforementioned wall create huge power alleys that yield a huge number of doubles and triples and keep the scoreboard rolling over like a pinball machine (fourth in the AL in runs per game in 2007). Batters in Fenway Park have produced the most doubles in the American League in three consecutive years.

New York: Yankee Stadium

"The House That Ruth Built" celebrates its final season before giving way to a new stadium in the Bronx. Will it carry the same moniker, or will it be attributed to "Big Stein?" During its history, the outfield walls have been pulled in to make Yankee Stadium a fine hitter's park. When you check the history of the field's dimensions, Babe Ruth's home run totals become even more mind-boggling. The right-center field fence has been pulled in 40 feet.

More runs were generated per game in Yankee Stadium than in any other American League park in 2007 (11.14 per game), and the potent Yankees lineup and the powerhouse visitors (aided by difficult years from the New York rotation and middle relief) ranked third in home runs, combining for 2.32 per game. Obviously, the confluence of power hitters at the prime of their respective careers (and a huge annual individual output from Alex Rodriguez) will help to inflate these numbers.

Tampa Bay: Tropicana Field

Tropicana Field has historically ranked in the middle of the pack for offensive production in the American League since its introduction in 1995. In 2007, the team experienced a tremendous boost with the arrivals of B.J. Upton and Delmon Young. The frequent visits of AL East powerhouses and an improved Rays lineup yielded a huge home run output (2.33 per game, 2nd in the American League). Additionally, the Rays and opponents combined to score 10.04 runs per game at Tropicana Field, the sixth-highest average in the American League.

The field is configured with short distances to the left and right-field foul poles (315 and 322 feet, respectively) and sizable power alleys that yield high extra-base hit totals.

Toronto: Rogers Centre

Offensive production in Rogers Centre has been plentiful in recent years given the assembly of a potent lineup for the Blue Jays and frequent visits from the other AL East sluggers. It is a classic configuration, devoid of odd angles and features to distinguish it from other parks. To that end, the Rogers Centre is spectacular as a physical structure in and of itself. The left and right-field lines are a scant 328 feet. The power alleys are an attainable 375 feet, and the center field wall is average at a distance of 404 feet.

Batters have produced phenomenal power numbers in Rogers Centre in three consecutive years, ranking in the top five in the American League in home runs and doubles each year. The retractable roof eliminates potential weather issues in Toronto at the opening and close of the year.

AL Central

Chicago White Sox: U.S. Cellular Field

Magglio Ordonez was one of many batters who enjoyed watching home runs at hitter's parks like U.S. Cellular Field. (Jonathan Daniel / Getty Images)

It's the American League equivalent of Coors Field. Balls continue to fly out of Chicago's U.S. Cellular Field at a brisk pace. In the past two seasons, 447 home runs have been hit there, an average of 2.76 per game. That lofty total actually includes a dramatic drop-off in production from the home team's sluggers from their 2006 heights.

Detroit: Comerica Park

Comerica Park technically falls among those parks described as "pitcher-friendly," although the 2007 numbers posted at the park would suggest otherwise. Magglio Ordoñez enjoyed hitting here, while taking the mound was a dangerous proposition for Jeremy Bonderman and the Tigers staff. With the exception of Justin Verlander, no Tigers pitcher amassed more than 35 innings pitched at Comerica Park with an ERA under 4.00. I would expect the gaudy offensive numbers to slide downward somewhat this year given the deep power alleys and 420-foot distance to the center field wall.

Cleveland: Progressive Field

The recently renamed jewel of Cleveland is one of the most popular ballparks in the game. It has fairly standard distances down each line (325 feet) and angles off in right and left-center field to the chagrin of inexperienced outfielders. The biggest tweak to the traditional dimensions is the 17-foot wall in left field. While it pales in comparison to the Green Monster in Fenway, that height keeps a fair number of balls in play and portends to more doubles. Still, the slugging Indians and their opponents combined for the sixth-highest home run rate in the American League at Jacobs Field (2.07 per game). They achieved that total despite a drop-off in power production from slugger Travis Hafner.

Kansas City: Kauffman Stadium

The Royals changed up the field dimensions several years back and accelerated offensive production. To their credit, the timing coincided perfectly with the arrivals of Billy Butler, Alex Gordon and other talented young hitters in the lineup. These hitters have acclimated well to the home turf, and the Royals generated the ninth-most doubles at home last year (156). Unfortunately for them, the changes also meant improved run generation and extra-base hit potential for opponents. Opponents obliterated the Royals staff to the tune of a 5.16 ERA. Batters have produced the second-highest doubles total in the American League in three consecutive years.

Minnesota: Metrodome

Most players and fans will not be sorry to see the Metrodome imploded. While it does have the history of the Twins' tremendous runs to World Series titles in the Kirby Puckett era, it's a nightmare for outfielders given the color of the roof and presence of speakers in the playing area and many of the sight lines are poor at best. With that said, it's been a strong venue for batters through the years. The inability of outfielders to pick up flyballs helps the cause, as does the limited amount of foul territory. The 2007 season was out of the ordinary in that batters hit 1.60 home runs per game (12th in the AL) and plated 8.27 runs per game (last in the AL)

AL West

Los Angeles: Angel Stadium

	HARMON'S RANKINGS
Overall: Top 300 Catcher: Top 10 | Rankings First base: Top 20 | Rankings Second base: Top 15 | Rankings Shortstop: Top 15 | Rankings Third base: Top 20 | Rankings Outfield: 40-21 | 20-1 | Rankings Starting pitcher: 40-21 | 20-1 | Rankings Middle reliever: 15-1 | Rankings Closers: 30-1 | Rankings

The power alleys in Angel Stadium are fairly standard, exhibiting traditional rounding off of the 330-foot corners. However, the left-center field wall runs 17 feet deeper than in right. As such, home run totals remain low while doubles are high. Angels batters and the opposition combined to produce the second-fewest home run output in the American League (1.59 per game). Only three Angels batters hit seven or more home runs at home. Part of that is team composition. Part of that is the fact that five or more Los Angeles hitters took advantage of the power alleys to hit 15 or more doubles (the team ranked second in all of Major League Baseball with 176 doubles at home).

Oakland: McAfee Coliseum/Cisco Field

There are three things that stand out in the often renamed ballpark in Oakland. First, there's the legendary and unused section in the outfield called "Mount Davis," named after Raiders owner Al Davis, whose team shares the facility. It's a quite interesting sight, to say the least. Second, the field has huge power alleys where flyballs go to die. Finally, there is ample foul ground along the first and third-base lines and behind the plate to hold batting averages down (For example, the A's batted .240 at home last season). The A's and their opponents combined to hit 1.68 home runs per game at McAfee Coliseum/Cisco Field last year and the 8.41 runs generated per game ranked 13th in the American League.

Seattle: Safeco Field

Safeco Field has a fairly standard configuration with slightly deeper power alleys than other parks. However, that slight difference combined with the effects of pitching below sea level combine to keep run production down. Batters combined to yield the 10th-best run total in the American League last season (9.78 runs per game) and the ninth-best home run average (1.88 per game). Interestingly, this low run production came despite the fact that the Mariners tied for the sixth-best home batting average (.283) with the 22nd-best home ERA (4.57)

Texas: Rangers Ballpark in Arlington

The dimensions of Rangers Ballpark in Arlington are fairly average. It boasts a standard configuration with traditional rounding in the power alleys. However, the low humidity, high temperatures and strong push from the area's high winds conspire to make this one of the game's more hitter-friendly parks. Of course, the fact that sluggers such as Alex Rodriguez, Rafael Palmeiro and Mark Teixeira have called this park home in the past certainly hasn't hurt the power numbers.

Batters blasted an average of 2.06 home runs per game at Rangers Ballpark in 2007 and, despite offensive woes throughout the Texas lineup, they combined to plate 10.13 runs per game in 2007. The standard power alleys are conducive to sizable doubles totals and run generation. Therefore, it's difficult to lure free agent hurlers to Texas, where ERAs are historically high.

Next: National League Ballparks