Ballpark Factors: Analyzing Park Effects of the 30 Stadiums

Park factors perhaps still haven't truly permeated the consciousness of the average fan or fantasy baseball owner. While obviously not the sole factor for fantasy success, park effects should serve as one of the important factors in evaluating talent and players.

This article will provide a glimpse into every major-league ballpark and the associated impact on both hitters and pitchers, emphasizing newly acquired players.

A stadium with a Park Index (PI) of 100 plays neutral. An index of more than 100 means that ballpark favors that statistic. Conversely, an index less than 100 means the park suppresses the stat in question. Included for each club are park indices for left- and right-handed batters, both for average and home runs.

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The overall number for each park is based on runs. For example, Coors Field has a Park Index of 143, meaning that it is 43 percent easier to score runs in that park than the rest of the parks in the National League.

The Bill James Handbook 2013 provides the relevant statistics, and spans data from 2010 to 2012 (except Marlins Park and reconfigured Citi Field, which feature 2012 figures only).

Let's travel around the big leagues and check out the influence of that old adage, "location, location, location."

EXTREME HITTERS' PARKS (PI 116+)

COLORADO
Coors Field - 143

Hitters: Coors continues to be a hitting mecca. Tyler Colvin improved his OPS nearly .350 points after being traded last offseason by the Cubs. Third-baseman Chris Nelson hit a sizzling .347 at Coors last season, though he actually hit more home runs on the road (6) than at home (3). Dexter Fowler certainly enjoyed the friendly confines, as well, during his breakout season, batting .332 at home while hitting 10 of his 13 home runs for the season at home.

Pitchers: Jhoulys Chacin was destroyed in his home park, posting a 6.34 ERA as compared to a 2.72 mark on the road. Jeff Francis found it an equally daunting task to hurl at Coors Field as opposing batters hit .342 against him there.

TEXAS
Rangers Ballpark in Arlington - 122
Hitters: Although a lot of his impact hinges upon his health, Lance Berkman's switch-hitting bat could make for an excellent late-round risk in the most hitter-friendly park in the American League. Only Yankee Stadium has proven an easier place to hit homers in over the last three seasons in the AL than the Ballpark at Arlington. Likewise, only Fenway Park has been more conducive to batting average in the AL over that same span.

Pitchers: Derek Holland was far worse at home than on the road last season, posting a 5.55 ERA in Arlington while allowing 18 of his 32 home runs in Texas. Closer Joe Nathan did not blow a save on the road and converted all 19 of his save opportunities away from Arlington; however, at home he had a 4.17 ERA, blew three saves and allowed all seven of his home runs for 2012.

HITTERS' PARKS (PI 115-105)

BOSTON
Fenway Park - 115
Hitters: Mike Napoli's stats shouldn't really change in his move to Boston, except for a few less home runs and a few more doubles due to the Green Monster. Shane Victorino's .323 average was stellar against righties last season, but don't expect his power numbers to rise in his new digs in Beantown. The switch-hitter hit just five home runs as a lefty in 2012, and Fenway suppresses left-handed power.

Pitchers: New closer Joel Hanrahan may not find his new home digs quite so lovely, though, as he posted a 4.05 ERA on the road last season as opposed to a 1.64 ERA in pitcher-friendly PNC Park. Expect Hanny to surrender a few more long balls to right-handed hitters for his new squad.

CHICAGO WHITE SOX
U.S. Cellular Field - 113
Hitters: Jeff Keppinger, come on down! His career year came in Tampa, where he managed to hit .343 in an unfavorable park. He had a career-high nine home runs and moves to the most favorable park for right-handed home run hitters in baseball. U.S. Cellular's friendly left-field fence has long been a boon to right-handed power, but last season saw an uptick in average for both sides of the plate, returning the park to the upper echelon of hitters' parks after it ranked neutral at this time last year.

Pitchers: Chris Sale moved into the rotation last year and had a Cy Young-caliber season for the White Sox. The lanky lefty was superior at home, posting a 2.30 ERA and holding opposing hitters to a .215 BAA at the Big Cell Phone. Somewhat surprsingly, Sale's ability to keep the ball in the park was not impacted by pitching more innings as a starter at home. His 2011 home-run rate as a reliever was .97, but he dropped that to .86 last season (9 in 94 innings) at home. What's more, his home OPS was .599 compared to .716 on the road in 2012.

ARIZONA
Chase Field - 112
Hitters: Cody Ross moves from one hitters' park to another in signing with the D-Backs. Ross hit 22 home runs in 2012 with the Red Sox, up from 14 in each of the last two seasons spent mostly with the Giants. Chase Field is even better for right-handed home-run hitters than Fenway, though his doubles may take a hit, as Fenway was the top park for doubles the last three seasons (130). Cliff Pennington could be a deep NL-only sleeper in his move from cavernous O.Co Coliseum to a friendlier environment for bats.

Pitchers: Health issues aside, Brandon McCarthy moves from a pitchers' park in Oakland, to a hitters' park in Arizona. McCarthy's road ERA was about a full point higher than his home ERA the last two seasons. Patrick Corbin will have to fight off the superior talent of Tyler Skaggs for a rotation slot but was markedly better at home than on the road in 2012. Corbin had a 2.92 ERA at Chase Field as compared to a bloated 6.09 ERA on the road.

NEW YORK YANKEES
Yankee Stadium - 110
Hitters: Kevin Youkilis hit .323 with 11 of his 19 home runs at U.S. Cellular last season in his brief time with the White Sox. Yankee Stadium is not as friendly for right-handed power hitters as it is for left-handers, though. Meanwhile, Ichiro Suzuki hit .338 at The House That George Steinbrenner Built, while also bashing five home runs in 130 at-bats as Yankee Stadium ranks as the friendliest park for left-handed power in the American League - by far - only a few steps off the mlb-leading pace of Coors Field.

Pitchers: In perhaps the most stunning and curious line for Yankee Stadium, Hiroki Kuroda managed a 2.72 ERA at home last season in the Bronx, as opposed to a 4.23 ERA on the road. Even stranger? CC Sabathia posted similar home/away ERAs. Can this trend continue? Ivan Nova had a horrific season at Yankee Stadium in 2012 with a 6.08 ERA.

BALTIMORE
Oriole Park at Camden Yards - 109
Hitters: Hakuna Machado? Neophyte Manny Machado hit all seven of his home runs at home last season, but struggled to a .235 average in Baltimore. Chris Davis had 22 of his 33 home runs at home in 2012, while also batting 30 points higher in the state of Maryland.

Pitchers: Miguel Gonzalez curiously struggled at home for the O's, compiling a 4.08 ERA in Baltimore. By contrast, his road ERA was 2.74. Jake Arrieta found his home park even more imposing, posting a 7.12 ERA near the Inner Harbor and allowing 12 of his 16 home runs at home.

MILWAUKEE
Miller Park - 107
Hitters: Starting shortstop Jean Segura was flat-out awful at home last season; in 72 at-bats, Segura collected just 13 hits for a .181 average. On the flip side, Mat Gamel was markedly better at home, though in limited action. Gamel's OPS was more than 200 points better at the Big Beer Mug than on the road. He is expected to take over first base for Corey Hart, who will miss at least the first six weeks. Gamel is coming off an injury of his own, but should be healthy for spring training.

Pitchers: Marco Estrada enjoyed the confines of Miller Park, despite its hitter-friendly configuration, notching a 2.97 ERA in 13 starts while dropping his slugging percentage nearly 100 points versus the road. Meanwhile, his road ERA saw a spike to 4.53. John Axford's rollercoaster 2012 campaign saw him post a 5.31 ERA at Miller Park, as he blew five saves at home in the process.

TORONTO
Rogers Centre - 107
Hitters: Even if the division is unforgiving, the home park will be a welcome sight for Jose Reyes. The new Miami Marlins Park had the second-lowest PI for home runs (73) only to AT&T Park in the majors; meanwhile, Rogers Centre proved Top 10 at 117. Just ask Edwin Encarnacion and Jose Bautista if they like their home digs. Underrated for Reyes is the PI for triples at Rogers Centre (135) as well as the extra 20 games combined at Yankee Stadium and Fenway Park (see above).

Pitchers: Mark Buehrle may be happy pitching for a contender instead of the Fish. He might not be so thrilled to learn, however, that only U.S. Cellular Field in Chicago, his former home park, was easier for right-handed batters in which to hit home runs. His GO:AO ratio has also declined as he has aged, which could spell trouble for the crafty southpaw.

CINCINNATI
Great American Ball Park - 106
Hitters: The move from Petco Park to the friendly home-run hitting confines of the Great American Ball Park certainly did Ryan Ludwick well in 2012. After hitting just six homers in 77 games at San Diego in 2011, Ludwick came back with 16 dingers in 66 games in Cincinnati last season. But Ludwick is a right-handed hitter, so the same shouldn't necessarily be expected for left-handed acquisition Shin-Soo Choo. Choo's former home, Cleveland's Progessive Field, plays similar to GABP for left-handed hitters.

Pitchers: Aroldis Chapman was virtually unhittable last season out of the bullpen, but will that translate to success in the starting rotation? His ballpark certainly won't do him any favors; three of the four home runs he allowed last season came at home, and his ERA was almost two runs lower on the road. He isn't an extreme fly-ball pitcher (48.0 GB%), which helps him keep the ball in the park, but that could change somewhat as he throws more offspeed pitches as a starter this year after using his fastball 88 percent of the time last season, the third-highest rate in the majors, as the closer.

NEUTRAL PARKS (PI 104-96)

CHICAGO CUBS
Wrigley Field - 104
Hitters: Scott Hairston parlayed the moved-in fences at Citi Field in 2012 into a 20-home run season; his move to Chicago could yield similar success. Darwin Barney hit .303 at Wrigley last season, with all seven of his home runs coming over the ivy.

Pitchers: Edwin Jackson's stats should be more in line with his 2012 numbers in Washington than his 2011 season with the world champion Cardinals. This means a plus-4.00 ERA and a whole lot of walks. Jeff Samardzija looks like he made the right choice sticking with baseball over football, and he rewarded Cubs' fans with a 3.22 ERA at home in his first full season as a starter.

DETROIT
Comerica Park - 104
Hitters: Torii Hunter moves to a more hitter-friendly park, but while Comerica is exceptionally more favorable to right-handed power than Hunter's former home in Anaheim, it is not so compared to the rest of the league - it's RHB-HR PI is a middle-of-the-road 96. And since the outfield reconfiguration in 2003, Hunter has only hit .259/.320/.404 in 228 at-bats Comerica. Lefty Andy Dirks, meanwhile, hit .347 in Detroit as opposed to .299 away from home.

Pitchers: Anibal Sanchez had a 3.47 ERA and allowed just two home runs in 36.1 innings at Comerica after coming over from the Marlins. Drew Smyly may still figure into the Tigers rotation despite the re-signing of Sanchez, and he compiled a 3.65 ERA at Comerica as compared to a 4.25 figure on the road.

KANSAS CITY
Kauffman Stadium - 101
Hitters: Is Kauffman Stadium stunting the growth of Eric Hosmer and Mike Moustakas? One could make the argument that neither will hit 30 home runs in a season while playing home games in Kauffman, which severely suppresses left-handed home-run power. Still, surprisingly, their home-road power splits were pretty even. Moose hit about 70 points higher at home than on the road, though.

Pitchers: It's not necessarily the homers that will hurt righty James Shields, as he has always allowed a lot of four-baggers. The added hits in general may hurt his cause more, as Tropicana Field yielded the second-lowest average to left-handed batters in the American League. Ervin Santana may not find Kauffman Stadium to his liking either; opposing batters hit just .199 against him when he pitched at vacuous Angel Stadium in 2012.

ATLANTA
Turner Field - 100
Hitters: B.J. Upton will have to produce in a non-contract year this time around, but his batting average should at least be aided by the move to Turner Field, which is a major improvement over Tropicana Field. Brother Justin Upton is in the opposite situation, particularly in the power department after arriving from hitter-friendly Chase Field. For what it's worth, Justin's a career .871 OPS hitter at Turner Field in 58 at-bats. Meanwhile, despite an injury-plagued rookie season, shortstop Andrelton Simmons went 28-for-93 (.301) at home with all three of his home runs coming in Atlanta.

Pitchers: Mike Minor was a markedly better pitcher at home than on the road last season. His home ERA was 3.25, while his road ERA was 5.14. He allowed 18 of his 26 home runs away from Atlanta as well. Watch out for Julio Teheran after Randall Delgado went to Arizona as part of the Justin Upton deal.

MIAMI
Marlins Ballpark - 100
Hitters: Only Giancarlo Stanton showed no ill effects from hitting in a new ballpark that was extremely unfavorable to the home run. Logan Morrison hit just four home runs at home in 2012 after bashing 12 at Sun Life Stadium the year before.

Pitchers: Henderson Alvarez is a groundball pitcher who allowed 29 home runs last season with his home park as the homer happy Rogers Centre. He should be helped considerably by the huge drop shown in dingers at Marlins Park in Year One.

PHILADELPHIA
Citizens Bank Park - 99
Hitters: Maybe Ben Revere will finally get that first big-league home run under his belt playing in Philly, which features a much more favorable right field than Target Field. Meanwhile, as if Michael Young's regression due to age wasn't bad enough, he's moving from the most favorable hitting park in the majors to an average one. He hit a career-low eight home runs last season.

Pitchers: The Phillies signed Mike Adams as a set-up man for Jonathan Papelbon this season. Adams had arguably his worst season as a pro last year in Texas, including a 4.50 ERA at the Ballpark in Arlington. He should find Citizens Bank Park much more to his liking; it's not Petco Park, where he pitched for three-plus seasons, but it's a more pitcher-friendly environment than Texas to be sure.

WASHINGTON
Nationals Park - 98
Hitters: Denard Span comes over from the Twins, though curiously hit .332 at his home field in Minnesota in 2012; Target Field has been a notorious pitchers' park during its brief existence. Jayson Werth hit .339 in Washington last season as opposed to just .252 on the road. Likewise, 16 of Ian Desmond's 25 home runs came at Nationals Park last year.

Pitchers: Dan Haren comes over from the Angels, seeking better results than his 4.33 ERA and 1.29 WHIP in 2012. Playing in the NL East should help, though he wasn't able to take advantage of the favorable conditions at Angel Stadium last season. Home runs could still be a concern, as he gave up 16 at home last year in a park that was supposed to keep dingers at bay. Rafael Soriano steps in to the closer's role for the Nats. Moving from Yankee Stadium should only aid his already impressive stats; Soriano posted a 3.55 ERA in the Bronx as opposed to a miniscule 1.04 ERA on the road.

MINNESOTA
Target Field - 98
Hitters: Joe Mauer's power struggles the last few seasons led many to assume Target Field was an awful home-run park for all hitters. Enter Josh Willingham, who showed righties can strike the long ball with 21 of his 35 home runs at home. Ditto for fellow righty Trevor Plouffe, who smacked 15 of his 24 bombs in Minnesota. Target's LHB-HR PI of 74 is still the lowest in the American League, however.

Pitchers: Vance Worley comes to the Twins from the Phillies and should benefit from the steep drop-off in left-handed power hitting from Citizens Bank Park to Target Field - the fomer is far above average for lefty power, the latter is far below average. Like Worley, Mike Pelfrey also makes his debut for Minnesota this year and is also a groundball pitcher who tends to pound the strikezone.

HOUSTON
Minute Maid Park - 96
Hitters: Carlos Pena, anyone? Although his batting average won't change, he should improve his 19 home runs from 2012, assuming age hasn't caught up to him yet. Matt Dominguez was a September call-up for the Astros and was 19-for-51 (.373) on the road and 12-for-58 (.207) at Minute Maid Park.

Pitchers: Will Phillip Humber go down as the worst pitcher to ever throw a no-hitter or perfect game? He struggled mightily following his perfecto in April (at Safeco Field, it should be noted), and pitching in Chicago certainly didn't help his cause. Humber had a woeful 8.44 ERA at U.S. Cellular, a haven for home-run hitters. His road ERA was 4.67 in 2012, meaning he could at least stick toward the back of the Houston rotation in 2013.

PITCHERS' PARKS (PI 95-86)

OAKLAND
O.Co Coliseum - 94
Hitters: Chris Young hopes a change of scenery will jumpstart his game, as he struggled the last two seasons in Arizona. Unfortunately, the move also comes with the caveat of heading to a haven for hurlers. Only Tropicana Field (139) had a higher Park Index for foul outs than O.Co Coliseum (136).

Pitchers: The trade to Oakland from Arizona was a blessing in disguise for Jarrod Parker, who feasted on opponents at home in 2012. Parker posted a 2.61 ERA in Oakland, as compared to a 4.54 ERA away from the Bay Area. Meanwhile, Tommy Milone also benefitted from a transfer from Washington; the crafty lefty barely hits 90 mph on the radar gun but as a fly-ball pitcher in a huge park, Milone got the job done in 2012 with a 2.74 ERA at the Coliseum.

ST. LOUIS
Busch Stadium - 94
Hitters: Expecting first base prospect Matt Adams to hit the ground running when he comes back to the bigs in 2013 may be a risky proposition. Adams slashed .329/.362/.624 with 18 home runs and 50 RBI in 67 games in the Pacific Coast League, but had just one home run in 44 at-bats at Busch Stadium. Busch plays much better for left-handed power, though, than right-handed, so the southpaw Busch has that going for him.

Pitchers: Jaime Garcia posted significant home-road splits, with a 2.82 ERA at home and 5.02 ERA on the road. Garcia gave up seven home runs for the entire year; all seven dingers were surrendered on the road.

CLEVELAND
Progressive Field - 93
Hitters: While Progressive Field is a good park for left-handed power hitters, it certainly isn't Yankee Stadium. And right-handers have much difficulty knocking the ball over the fence. The switch-hitting Nick Swisher may find this out the hard way in 2013. Although he'll be without the appealing short porch in right field that he had in the Bronx, Swisher's producton is going to have to come from the left side of the plate at home. Swisher's home-road splits over the last three seasons aren't that different with regard to home runs, but his average was considerably better at Yankee Stadium than on the road over that span.

Pitchers: Trevor Bauer didn't have much of a sample size in Arizona, but the shipment to Cleveland definitely places him in a more conducive ballpark for pitchers. An AL-Only option is Carlos Carrasco, who missed all 2012 due to Tommy John surgery. Carrasco was abysmal at home in 2011, accumulating a 6.87 ERA at the park formerly known as Jacobs Field.

PITTSBURGH
PNC Park - 91
Hitters: Russell Martin hit a career-high 21 home runs in 2012, but 13 came at Yankee Stadium. The new Pirates catcher won't be able to flex his muscle nearly as much in PNC Park, and his .211 batting average makes him a risky proposition even at a normally thin position. Speedster Starling Marte hit .229 at home and .286 on the road during his first season with the Bucs.

Pitchers: Wandy Rodriguez enjoyed pitching at PNC Park after arriving from the Astros. Rodriguez posted a 3.47 ERA at home and allowed just three home runs in 49.1 innings pitching on the Three Rivers. With Joel Hanrahan gone, could Jason Grilli emerge as the closer for the Pirates? He'll have to do better in front of the home crowd, as he had a 3.82 ERA and blew two of three save opportunities at home; by comparison, he had a 1.93 ERA away from Pittsburgh.

LOS ANGELES DODGERS
Dodger Stadium - 91
Hitters: Adrian Gonzalez was 24-for-77 (.322) during his brief time at Chavez Ravine last season, though he managed just one home run over that span. When Andre Ethier is at home against a right-handed pitcher, he makes for a superb start; Ethier hit .325 against righties and .322 at home in 2012. Furthermore, 14 of his 20 home runs came at Dodger Stadium.

Pitchers: Zack Greinke didn't love his brief time in Anaheim, posting a 3.45 ERA and allowing five home runs in seven starts. Interestingly, his short trip to Los Angeles actually has him moving to a slightly more hitter-friendly park. Although Josh Beckett made just three starts in Los Angeles for the Dodgers last season after coming from the Red Sox, he shined in those appearances, allowing just three earned runs in 18 innings.

NEW YORK METS
Citi Field - 87

Hitters: The Mets reconfigured the outfield last year, and the closer fences yielded a surprising amount of bombs to right-handed batters. Citi Field's RHB-HR PI increased from 78 in 2011 to 116 last season. Until hot-shot prospect Travis d'Arnaud is ready to assume the mantle, John Buck will be the everyday catcher for the Mets. Buck shouldn benefit from Citi's favorable dimension for righties after suffering in Marlins Park last season with just four home runs.

Pitchers: As long as he stays healthy, right-hander Shaun Marcum should enjoy the vast run differential in switching from Milwaukee to Queens. Marcum's home ERA last season was 4.44, while his road ERA was 3.26. And he was tough on right-handed hitters in a park less difficult for right power than Citi, allowing three homers in 94 right-handed at-bats at Miller Park.

EXTREME PITCHERS' PARKS (PI 85-)

SAN DIEGO
Petco Park - 85
Hitters: The Padres are moving in Petco's outfield fences this season by about 11 feet and lowering the right-field wall by three feet. After regularly ranking as an extreme pitchers' park, it can't hurt. Petco swallowed up first baseman Yonder Alonso last season, as the left-handed hitting rookie hit just three dingers in 261 at-bats at home.The new outfield also means a greater chance for Chase Headley to repeat his career-high power numbers after hitting 13 of his 31 homers at home last season.

Pitchers: Clayton Richard might suffer the most from the fences moving in; though he is largely a groundball pitcher, he pitches to contact and surrendered a staggering 31 home runs. He's liable to see more than the 10 long balls allowed last season at home leave the reconfigured Petco this season. Edinson Volquez likely won't be thrilled with the news either, though he let up "just" 14 dingers in 2012, a paltry number by comparison.

LOS ANGELES ANGELS
Angel Stadium of Anaheim - 84
Hitters: No ballpark can hold Josh Hamilton, but just keep these statistics in mind (small sample sized duly noted): the last three seasons at Angel Stadium as a member of the Rangers, Hamilton was 20-for-85 (.235) with two home runs and eight RBI. Albert Pujols also had a career-low 30 home runs in his first season with the Angels.

Pitchers: Tommy Hanson should reap the rewards of pitching in a park that suppresses left-handed home runs. Hanson allowed 18 home runs to lefties in 2012 as a member of the Braves. Meanwhile, the move of Jason Vargas to Anaheim could have a slightly negative effect, as he had a 2.74 ERA in 14 starts at cavernous Safeco Field as a member of the Mariners. He allowed 26 of his 35 home runs on the road last season.

TAMPA BAY
Tropicana Field - 83
Hitters: Top prospect Wil Myers makes his way to Tampa in the James Shields trade. While he is still an excellent phenom, his power expectations may need to be tempered. He hit 24 home runs in 99 games in the Pacific Coast League, a place notorious for inflating hitters' numbers. There are worse parks for left-handers to hit home runs, but the Trop certainly isn't Yankee Stadium.

Pitchers: Expect Chris Archer to benefit from Tropicana Field, assuming he makes the rotation and his control is legitimate. Archer's GO:AO ratio has been favorable throughout his career in the minors, and though the sample size is extremely small, he fared much better at home than on the road during his starts for the Rays in 2012.

SAN FRANCISCO
AT&T Park - 80
Hitters: Brandon Belt's home run production is likely never going to be what it was in the minors, at least as long as he plays his home games in San Francisco. However, he did hit .315 at AT&T Park last season. Marco Scutaro's sensational stretch run was buoyed by his home production to the tune of a .352 batting average. Buster Posey hit seven home runs at home and 17 away from AT&T in 2012.

Pitchers: Tim Lincecum's brutal 2013 campaign came out of nowhere, though it is worth noting that even during his struggles, AT&T kept him serviceable at home with just seven home runs allowed and a 4.15 ERA. By contrast, his road ERA was 6.43 and he surrendered 16 long balls away from AT&T Park. Madison Bumgarner's ERA was more than two runs lower at home as well.

SEATTLE
Safeco Field - 78
Hitters: Long one of baseball's most extreme pitchers' parks, Safeco Field will see its outfield fences significantly altered this season. The biggest impact likely will be for right-handed power as the left-center wall will be moved in 17 feet, while the height of the left-field fence is halved from 16 feet to eight. Safeco has been the most difficult place for right-handers to hit home runs the last three seasons, and the impact of the new set-up for the likes of Jesus Montero and the newly acquired Mike Morse and Kendrys Morales likely won't be dramatic.

Pitchers: Whatever the impact, Safeco's new dimensions won't make it a hitters' paradise, so there's not too much concern to be had for prospect Danny Hultzen, who should make his MLB debut in 2013. Hultzen was a slight flyball pitcher with strikeout stuff in two minor league stops last season; pitching at Safeco should allow him to get away with some misses in location.

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