Playing To Your Park (i.e. Pedroia and the Monster)

The Baseball Analysts has a fascinating post up about batted ball stats and fields of play. The writer has three lists showing the most productive hitters of 2008 when pulling the ball, going up the middle, or going opposite field. Two of the eight most successful players when pulling the ball were Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis. As the author points out, this is hardly a surprising finding:

Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis, on the other hand, are given a bit of an extra push, as both are clearly aided by the green monster. Pedroia might be the perfectly suited player for Fenway. Just check out his home run chart. He has yet to hit a 400-foot homerun in his career. You have to wonder whether he’d be the MVP outside of that park, as it would certainly be a challenge to find a voter who checks park-adjusted stats.

Park effects are vitally important when it comes to evaluating and selecting players. Pedroia can’t hit the ball more than 400 feet, but the proximity of the Green Monster lets him knock a few balls out of the park and smash plenty of doubles off the wall. Pedroia and Youkilis may not be that powerful outside of Boston, but 81 of their games are played in that park, and their skills fitting their stadium is a strong advantage.

The Yankees need to take advantage of the short porch in right field of Yankee Stadium. They need to focus on developing some lefty sluggers and lefty arms, both of whom have a relative advantage when left field is further than right. Signing Sabathia and the switch hitting Teixeira are definitely steps in the right direction, but the lack of lefty arms in the farm system concerns me. If the goal is to get at least a few of their prospects to play for the big club, it would be prudent for the Yankees to try and churn out some players suited for their home field.

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