Detroit Tigers changing ballpark in effort to improve offense
The Detroit Tigers lineup was essentially toothless last season. As such, it is time to make a change.
The Tigers are set to do exactly that. They announced that the walls at Comerica Park will be lowered around the outfield and that the center field fence will be moved in by ten feet.
Detroit Tigers hoping dimension changes led to production
Anything would help a Tigers offense that was one of the biggest disappointments of the season. With the additions of Javier Baez and Austin Meadows, as well as the ascension of prospects Spencer Torkelson and Riley Greene, the Tigers were supposed to have more than enough offense to support what was set to be a dominant pitching staff.
Instead, the Tigers were one of the greatest disappointments in baseball. Their lineup was a significant reason why as they posted a .231/.286/.346 batting line, ranking 14th in the AL in on base percentage and slugging. Their 110 homers were dead last in the AL, something that has to be considered an embarrassment after teams such as the A’s, who were trying to lose as many games as possible, outperformed them last year.
Moving in the fences will help. Comerica Park had the deepest center field in the majors at 420 feet before the upcoming season. While the new 410 foot mark will be tied for the second longest distance from home, joining the Royals, Guardians, and Orioles, that change could still help cure some of the Tigers’ offensive woes.
The Tigers have been relatively quiet this offseason. While they have not given away their best players, they have not done much to supplement the roster. It is possible that they can still be a dangerous team, especially if the offense starts to produce as expected.
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The Detroit Tigers are trying to improve their offense in 2023. That effort will begin by lowering the walls and bringing in the center field fence.