Baseball is unique in many ways.
It's the only one of the "major" team sports that doesn't end with a clock reaching 0:00. It's the only game where each play begins with the defense in control, and it's the sole competition without a uniformly sized playing field. Sure, the placement of the bases and pitching mound are defined, but otherwise, ballparks come in various shapes and sizes, some indoors, some fully exposed to the elements, and are located all over the continent in an array of climates and at various altitudes.
How all of these parks play relative to each other can be quantified over time and the effect incorporated into the hitter and pitcher projections that are key to preparing for your fantasy baseball drafts. But what happens when a team plays in new surroundings? Without any historical data to lean on, we have to apply what we know about the various influences on how a park plays. Some of this is mathematical, but it also entails using logic and intuition.
Several teams will be dealing with the challenge of either moving to a new stadium or having their current home undergo renovations in 2025.
Due to the devastating impact of Hurricane Milton on Tropicana Field, the Tampa Bay Rays will play their 2025 home games at George Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Florida, the New York Yankees' spring training venue as well as the home of the Low-A Tampa Tarpons.
The Athletics have moved on from Oakland, California, but are still a few years away from having a viable venue in Las Vegas. They will play their 2025 home schedule in West Sacramento at Sutter Health Park, sharing the yard with the Triple-A Sacramento River Cats.
Baltimore's Camden Yards will be readjusting its left-field walls, lessening the impact of alterations made to the stadium dimensions prior to the 2022 season.
While the playing dimensions have not been altered, Cleveland's Progressive Field and Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles have both undergone renovations, with some changes in the stands potentially altering wind direction and force.
What influences park factors?
Before we delve into the specifics of each of the new or changed venues we need to evaluate for 2025, let's first talk about some of the elements that determine how an individual park plays.