KC Royals star throws playful jabs at Orioles' latest stadium plans

The Kansas City Royals are focused on bolstering their lineup before 2025, but for the Baltimore Orioles, this winter marks a different kind of movement. Having pushed back the left-field wall at their home ballpark, Camden Yards, before the 2022 season, the Orioles announced on Friday that they're moving the wall back in a bit before next year — and Royals' first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino was quick to comment.

Reposting a rendering of the new left-field wall at Camden Yards, Pasquantino wrote "Moving fences can be done. Hello @Royals . Also hey data people I don't care that the K is a hitters park I want the fences to be as small and as short as possible!!!!!"

Why are the Orioles moving the left-field wall at Camden Yards?

Before the 2022 season, the Orioles announced they'd be pushing back the left-field wall at their Camden Yards in an attempt to make their ballpark more pitcher-friendly. Now, the Orioles are moving the wall back in a bit before 2025, though it won't be as close as it originally was. Baltimore general manager Mike Elias said they were looking to find "a happier medium" between the original dimensions and those during 2022-24.

“It became clear to us and me and our staff, our coaches, our players, the feedback we received over three years of lived experience that it was a directionally correct move, but we overcorrected,” Elias said. “Once we came to the decision that that was the case, I decided that this was something we wanted to address as soon as possible.”

From 2019-21 — the three seasons prior to the change in outfield dimensions — batters hit 24% more home runs at Camden Yards than other MLB ballparks, according to Baseball Savant. Once the left-field wall was moved out at the end of 2021, the number of homers hit in Baltimore decreased significantly, and from 2022-24, batters were actually 7% less likely to hit a home run at Camden Yards than other ballparks across MLB.

“I know that the pitchers enjoyed it," Elias said. "But for our hitters, for our right-handed hitters in particular — for our left-handed hitters, too — aspects of this were a little severe... This will be much more fair and favorable to the pitchers than the original dimensions of Camden Yards, but clearly, it’s a lot less severe, and I’m hopeful this will strike the right balance."

In addition to moving the left-field wall closer in varying distances ranging from 9 to 20 ft in different spots, it is also being reduced in height, dropping from 13 feet to 8 feet in some places and 6 feet, 11 inches in others.

The KC Royals' home field, Kauffman Field, is a hitter's ballpark, despite suppressing power

All MLB ballparks have different dimensions, including outfield wall depth and height. Because of this, some fields are considered "hitter's parks" due to shorter fences, closer outfield walls, or other features making it easier for batters to score runs.

The Royals' home ballpark, Kauffman Field, is considered favorable to hitters, though it's an interesting case study. Looking at stats from the last three seasons (2022-24), batters hit 15% less home runs at Kauffman Field than at other MLB ballparks, according to Baseball Savant, but where power is suppressed, other important batting metrics were elevated.

In addition to being 13% less likely to strike out at Kauffman Field, hitters recorded 68% more triples and 14% more doubles, increasing run scoring by 8%.

Still, Pasquantino joked the walls should be moved in to make it easier to knock the ball out of the park — but he rethought the statement just over an hour later.

" Lugo said no and that it's a beautiful place the way it is so I take it back," he wrote.

Looks like the walls at Kauffman Stadium will be staying put — Lugo will be making sure of it.