There’s not much to be said about the Baltimore Orioles in 2022, other than that this season is likely going to be a wash for them.
They already sit in last place in the American League East division with an 8-14 record.
If there’s one bright spot, it’s that they’re only a half-game behind the Boston Red Sox for second-to-last, and that’s not saying much.
This season, Camden Yards is looking a little bit different, with the left field wall being pushed back just a bit.
So far, that hasn’t helped the Orioles, as the ballpark has become more difficult to hit homers, affecting them as much as it is affecting other teams.
According to ESPN park factors, Camden Yards has gone from the easiest park to homer at in 2021 to the most difficult in '22. The deader ball and deeper LF/wall is converting a number of extra base hits to outs. Santander just had a grand slam turned into a F7 pic.twitter.com/43xt326J6T
— Travis Sawchik (@Travis_Sawchik) May 1, 2022
Double-Whammy
When it becomes harder for a ballclub to hit home runs out of its own ballpark, there are bound to be more struggles for the team.
Home is where they should feel comfortable, but that isn’t the case for the Orioles as we close the book on April and focus on May.
They’re barely over the .500 mark at home, and several hard-hit balls that would have been home runs at Camden Yards last year have turned into outs.
Of course, another thing to consider is that the baseballs being used in 2022 don’t have as much juice on them.
They’re “deader” for lack of a better term.
That combined with a taller and further away left field wall has put the Orioles in a bit of a tough position when it comes to hitting home runs and picking up extra base hits.
It’s pretty much a recipe for disaster if you’re the Orioles.
Perhaps at some point, the ball will start carrying more, but that hasn’t been the case so far this year.
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