St. Louis Cardinals: 4 Ballparks That Changed for Better, Worse

Citi Field Shrinks — Again

Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports

Michael Conforto’s Game 4 homer to right center field (above) was a no doubter, but it would have been a tad iffier last season. That’s because the outfield wall out there was a little deeper. Last fall, the New York Mets looked at the data and found that the team would have had 17 extra homers had the wall been at its 2015 dimensions.

So, they right center by as much as 11 feet in some spots last November. It marked the second time the team had altered Citi Field’s dimensions since the ballpark opened in 2009. The Mets had already made alterations to right center and left center after the 2011 season. The changes appeared to have worked both times. The Mets’ home run total jumped from 108 in 2011 to 139 in 2012, and from 125 last year to 177 this past season.

I get why the Mets have done this. It makes the team more attractive to free agent hitters. Still, it feels a little icky. Kind of like the Wilpons.

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