Interesting Take
Here is a study on the new stadium and home runs that says that 20 of the 105 home runs hit so far this year would not have been out of the old place. They confirm what my eyes have been telling me, rightfield is closer and the wall is shorter. Now, that accounts for 20 home runs, but 85 is still a ton. The highest number give up by the old place in the last four seasons was 73, still over 16% below the current total.
So, I would guess there is something else going on. I know the study says there is no definitive wind pattern, but I think there are two factors that may be influincing things. First, the old place is still standing, right behind the new place. Second, the new place has open concourses. Perhpas the wind whips around the old place and gets pushed into the new one? Perhaps the open concourses allow more of the wind to reach the field than at the old place? I am not smart enough to know, but the frutrating thing is you can't really be sure what you have until the old place is completely gone.
That won't happen until much later this year. So, you can look forward to a lot of offense in the Bronx this summer.
