Baltimore Orioles Ace Shares Positive Team Reaction To Moving Left Field In

The Baltimore Orioles are changing up their outfield once again and it appears that the team is very happy about the decision.

Moving in the left field wall at Camden Yards once again will vastly effect how right-handed batters hit when playing there.

Camden used to be one of the most hitter-friendly parks in the league, but when they moved the wall, the numbers dropped drastically. While it has had the effect of lessening the home runs hit to left field, it was a bit of an overcorrection.

In an effort to create a more even playing field, which was the goal in the first place, the wall is now being moved back in a little bit. It won't be as far up as it once was, as the Orioles are still searching for a middle ground.

While hitters and pitchers would likely have a different opinion of this for the most part, it seems as though everyone on the team seems to be happy about the change.

During an appearance on Foul Territory, young Baltimore ace Grayson Rodriguez shared a good outlook on the incoming change.

.@G_Rodriguez16 laughs about the crazy Left Field wall in Baltimore ...which is being moved in for 2025. pic.twitter.com/Vg6kVHMIqD
— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) December 18, 2024

"It is pretty funny seeing opposing teams come in. Guy gets on one, boom, thinks he hits a home run. We're like no, routine fly ball. Us pitchers] do get a kick out of that wall being so big," said Rodriguez explaining that the players constantly do math about how the game would be different with closer walls."

While the pitchers laughed about it, though, the batters had to be a little extra frustrated about fly balls to left field.

"It [wasn't] a cool situation for the hitters, especially our hitters. Our right-handed guys that can swing the bat a little bit," said the 25-year-old. "I think out guys are definitely going to like that they're moving the wall in a little bit.

There is certainly a give-and-take for a pitcher. On one hand, moving the wall in will make it a little bit harder to pitch there. On the other, hand, added run support will be nice. That is especially so given how poor the offense played in the second half of last season.

When pitching at home this season, the Orioles staff posted a 3.83 ERA with a .250/.312/.407 slash line against. They gave up 90 home runs and had a BABIP of .299.

In 2021, when the wall was further in, those numbers were notable worse. The slash line against was up to .275/.345/.495 with 155 home runs and a BABIP of .305.

It isn't a one-to-one comparison, because the pitching staff was not as good back then, but the change is too big to ignore.

Switching to the offensive side, there is a difference in production as well.

This past campaign, Baltimore hitters put up a .250/.315/.431 slash line with 112 home runs and a .287 BABP.

Back in 2021, the numbers actually weren't that much better. Granted, again, it was a much worse lineup.

The Orioles hitters put up a .251/.317/.443 slash line with 122 home runs and a .293 BABIP. Still, a less talented lineup was able to put up better numbers.

Baltimore's pitching staff will need the offense to keep up their end of the bargain, but this could be an overall better change for the team.

This is why the offseason additions of Tyler O'Neill and even Gary Sanchez could end up being huge factors this year.