Three-Year Lefty-Righty Splits For Each MLB Park

Most major league ballparks affect righthanded and lefthanded batters differently, so teams cannot necessarily rely on an overall park factor when searching for players most ideally suited for playing 81 games at home each year.

For example, Chicago’s U.S. Cellular Field has played as the second-most favorable home run park for righthanded batters since 2009. However, just 11 parks have been less hospitable for lefty home-run hitters in that time. Appropriately, Paul Konerko, Carlos Quentin and Jermaine Dye dominate the recent single-season home run tallies for White Sox batters, while Jim Thome is the lone lefty to hit more than 18 in a season in the past decade.

The Indians’ Progressive Field produces the opposite effect. Lefty batters prosper by hitting the ball in the air in Cleveland (11th highest home run rate), while righty batters curse the 19-foot wall in left field (28th highest home runs rate). Find the righty/lefty hitting averages for all 30 parks during the past three seasons in the following two tables. Parks listed alphabetically by organization nickname.

All samples include performance by both home and visiting batters. All data generated by Baseball-Reference ballpark platoon splits.

* The Marlins move into Marlins Park in 2012, leaving Sun Life Stadium behind
** The Twins moved into Target Field in 2010, thus the sample covers just two seasons

PERFORMANCE BY RIGHTHANDED BATTERS @ EACH BIG LEAGUE BALLPARK, 2009-11
PARK	TEAM	PA	PCT	HR	RATE	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	ISO	BIP
Angel Stadium	Angels	10,421	56%	289	36.1	.253	.311	.400	.711	.147	.284
Minute Maid Park	Astros	11,914	64%	304	39.2	.257	.314	.400	.714	.143	.293
O.co Coliseum	Athletics	10,150	56%	212	47.9	.245	.306	.369	.675	.124	.281
Rogers Centre	Blue Jays	11,848	63%	423	28.0	.260	.328	.446	.775	.186	.284
Turner Field	Braves	9,845	53%	195	50.5	.246	.308	.369	.677	.123	.297
Miller Park	Brewers	11,952	64%	359	33.3	.262	.326	.428	.754	.166	.300
Busch Stadium	Cardinals	11,221	61%	236	47.5	.256	.319	.384	.702	.128	.290
Wrigley Field	Cubs	12,081	65%	322	37.5	.263	.326	.412	.738	.149	.303
Chase Field	D-backs	10,515	56%	331	31.8	.261	.329	.434	.764	.173	.302
Dodger Stadium	Dodgers	10,679	58%	228	46.8	.243	.313	.364	.677	.121	.288
AT&T Park	Giants	10,723	59%	225	47.7	.243	.308	.372	.679	.128	.289
Progressive Field	Indians	9,193	49%	181	50.8	.251	.317	.380	.697	.129	.295
Safeco Field	Mariners	10,028	55%	203	49.4	.234	.292	.353	.645	.118	.272
Sun Life Stadium*	Marlins	11,134	60%	286	38.9	.256	.328	.407	.735	.151	.309
Citi Field	Mets	10,327	55%	196	52.7	.253	.322	.379	.701	.126	.295
Nationals Park	Nationals	10,815	58%	274	39.5	.258	.320	.404	.724	.145	.294
Camden Yards	Orioles	10,132	53%	326	31.1	.270	.326	.431	.757	.162	.295
Petco Park	Padres	10,618	58%	228	46.6	.225	.296	.346	.642	.121	.266
Citizens Bank Park	Phillies	9,896	53%	246	40.2	.254	.314	.396	.710	.142	.294
PNC Park	Pirates	11,006	60%	209	52.7	.261	.322	.392	.714	.131	.295
Rangers Ballpark	Rangers	11,501	61%	375	30.7	.274	.338	.447	.785	.173	.299
Tropicana Field	Rays	9,387	51%	267	35.2	.243	.315	.402	.717	.159	.282
Fenway Park	Red Sox	9,922	53%	303	32.7	.276	.346	.450	.795	.174	.311
Great American BP	Reds	12,100	65%	348	34.8	.256	.320	.408	.728	.152	.290
Coors Field	Rockies	10,440	55%	296	35.3	.271	.332	.438	.770	.167	.309
Kauffman Stadium	Royals	9,887	52%	245	40.4	.274	.331	.422	.753	.148	.305
Comerica Park	Tigers	10,381	56%	287	36.2	.272	.335	.428	.763	.156	.306
Target Field**	Twins	6,408	52%	146	43.9	.269	.320	.407	.727	.138	.302
U.S. Cellular Field	White Sox	11,036	60%	384	28.7	.256	.326	.427	.753	.171	.283
Yankee Stadium	Yankees	9,182	49%	279	32.9	.262	.336	.417	.753	.155	.296

 

At A Glance: Righthanded Batters High/Low

Percentage of Overall Plate Appearances (PCT) by RHB
HIGH: (tie) Great American Ballpark and Wrigley Field, 64.8 percent. LOW: Yankee Stadium, 48.7 percent.

Plate Appearances per Home Run (RATE) by RHB
HIGH: Rogers Centre, 28.0. LOW: (tie) Citi Field and PNC Park, 52.7.

Batting Average (AVG) by RHB
HIGH: Fenway Park, .276. LOW: Petco Park, .225.

On-Base Percentage (OBP) by RHB
HIGH: Fenway Park, .346. LOW: Safeco Field, .292.

Slugging Percentage (SLG) by RHB
HIGH: Fenway Park, .450. LOW: Petco Park, .346.

On-Base-Plus Slugging (OPS) by RHB
HIGH: Fenway Park, .795. LOW: Petco Park, .642.

Isolated Power (ISO) by RHB
HIGH: Rogers Centre, .186. LOW: Safeco Field, .118.

Batting Average on Balls in Play (BIP) by RHB
HIGH: Fenway Park, .311. LOW: Petco Park, .266.

PERFORMANCE BY LEFTHANDED BATTERS @ EACH BIG LEAGUE BALLPARK, 2009-11
PARK	TEAM	PA	PCT	HR	RATE	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	ISO	BIP
Angel Stadium	Angels	8,088	44%	173	46.8	.263	.336	.393	.729	.131	.302
Minute Maid Park	Astros	6,600	36%	141	46.8	.266	.340	.412	.752	.146	.319
O.co Coliseum	Athletics	8,030	44%	146	55.0	.252	.329	.377	.706	.125	.298
Rogers Centre	Blue Jays	6,879	37%	202	34.1	.253	.320	.423	.743	.170	.298
Turner Field	Braves	8,780	47%	208	42.2	.252	.335	.392	.727	.140	.297
Miller Park	Brewers	6,779	36%	209	32.4	.257	.339	.429	.768	.171	.303
Busch Stadium	Cardinals	7,175	39%	136	52.8	.258	.332	.382	.715	.124	.300
Wrigley Field	Cubs	6,567	35%	153	42.9	.252	.338	.398	.736	.147	.308
Chase Field	D-backs	8,166	44%	217	37.6	.267	.333	.438	.772	.171	.311
Dodger Stadium	Dodgers	7,689	42%	147	52.3	.250	.320	.376	.696	.126	.294
AT&T Park	Giants	7,415	41%	124	59.8	.241	.310	.365	.675	.123	.294
Progressive Field	Indians	9,470	51%	249	38.0	.266	.338	.420	.757	.154	.300
Safeco Field	Mariners	8,322	45%	191	43.6	.245	.313	.370	.684	.126	.287
Sun Life Stadium*	Marlins	7,400	40%	144	51.4	.255	.334	.388	.722	.132	.310
Citi Field	Mets	8,366	45%	152	55.0	.260	.334	.394	.728	.134	.299
Nationals Park	Nationals	7,698	42%	186	41.4	.258	.330	.405	.735	.147	.296
Camden Yards	Orioles	8,815	47%	271	32.5	.279	.346	.453	.799	.173	.309
Petco Park	Padres	7,668	42%	126	60.9	.234	.319	.351	.670	.117	.290
Citizens Bank Park	Phillies	8,713	47%	271	32.2	.254	.327	.423	.750	.169	.287
PNC Park	Pirates	7,481	40%	179	41.8	.264	.333	.413	.745	.149	.304
Rangers Ballpark	Rangers	7,226	39%	242	29.9	.265	.329	.440	.768	.175	.296
Tropicana Field	Rays	8,890	49%	238	37.4	.242	.318	.394	.712	.152	.280
Fenway Park	Red Sox	8,968	47%	220	40.8	.268	.341	.430	.771	.162	.314
Great American BP	Reds	6,563	35%	232	28.3	.264	.342	.444	.786	.181	.300
Coors Field	Rockies	8,532	45%	258	33.1	.287	.364	.472	.836	.185	.329
Kauffman Stadium	Royals	9,035	48%	152	59.4	.278	.347	.411	.758	.133	.321
Comerica Park	Tigers	8,151	44%	191	42.7	.260	.330	.400	.730	.140	.296
Target Field**	Twins	5,855	48%	96	61.0	.268	.335	.393	.728	.126	.308
U.S. Cellular Field	White Sox	7,444	40%	164	45.4	.262	.329	.392	.721	.130	.303
Yankee Stadium	Yankees	9,686	51%	390	24.8	.266	.347	.464	.811	.198	.293

At A Glance: Lefthanded Batters High/Low

Percentage of Overall Plate Appearances (PCT) by LHB
HIGH: Yankee Stadium, 51.3 percent. LOW: (tie) Great American Ballpark and Wrigley Field, 35.2 percent.

Plate Appearances per Home Run (RATE) by LHB
HIGH: Yankee Stadium, 24.8. LOW: Target Field**, 61.0.

Batting Average (AVG) by LHB
HIGH: Coors Field, .287. LOW: Petco Park, .234.

On-Base Percentage (OBP) by LHB
HIGH: Coors Field, .364. LOW: AT&T Park, .310.

Slugging Percentage (SLG) by LHB
HIGH: Coors Field, .472. LOW: Petco Park, .351.

On-Base-Plus Slugging (OPS) by LHB
HIGH: Coors Field, .836. LOW: Petco Park, .670.

Isolated Power (ISO) by LHB
HIGH: Yankee Stadium, .198. LOW: Petco Park, .117.

Batting Average on Balls in Play (BIP) by LHB
HIGH: Coors Field, .329. LOW: Tropicana Field, .280.