Reports surfaced last week that the Blue Jays’ renovations to Rogers Centre would involve some changes to the playing field, and those changes were confirmed yesterday when the team officially announced the dimensions of the newly-reconfigured outfield. Rogers Centre had previously had uniform dimensions in terms of wall size and relative distances from home plate, but now many aspects of the outfield will play a bit differently in 2023. (MLB.com’s Keegan Matheson has a visual aid of the new dimensions within his piece on the outfield changes.)
Formerly a standard size of 10 feet tall, the outfield wall’s size will now be staggered, ranging from eight feet in straightaway center field to 14 feet and four inches for the walls in right-center field and down the left field line. The wall down the right field line will also grow to 12 feet and seven inches, and the wall in left-center will be 11 feet and two inches high. The power alley walls will be heightened as well, but to differing heights — 10 feet and nine inches in right-center, and 12 feet and nine inches in left-center.
As for distances, no changes were made in center field or down the left field/right field line, as those will respectively remain at 400 feet and 328 feet. However, in left-center, the wall will move in slightly to 368 feet (from 375 feet) and the power alley to 381 feet (from 383 feet).
In right-center, there is an even more drastic move to 359 feet (again down from 375) with power alley of 372 feet (from 383). The changes in right field are due to two of the renovation’s most prominent new features — a large fan pavilion and dining area, providing spectators with a new views of both the field and a newly-designed visitors’ bullpen.
Last winter’s renovations at Camden Yards are a recent example of how a ballpark can be significantly altered by a dimension change, as one of baseball’s more hitter-friendly stadiums became a lot more pitcher-friendly once the left field wall was heightened and pushed back almost 30 feet. Rogers Centre has also traditionally been somewhat more favorable to hitters, and in theory, the generally shorter dimensions might further help batters (particularly left-handed hitters), while fly-ball pitchers could see a few more home runs sail out of the yard on balls that would’ve previously been caught. That said, the larger walls should also curb a true offensive explosion.
“It was critical to understand how any modifications would impact play, so where the walls come in, heights go up to offset significant changes,” Marnie Starkman, Blue Jays executive VP of business operations, said in a statement to media. “Our team modelled these adjustments, and we anticipate they will create a similar neutral environment while providing a modernized experience for our fans.”
As Matheson notes, the Jays’ acquisitions of Daulton Varsho and Kevin Kiermaier this offseason were surely influenced by the outfield’s different look. The Blue Jays already wanted to upgrade its glovework in general this winter, but having two excellent defensive outfielders in this newly-shaped outfield should help the club as it figures out exactly how these new dimensions will translate to on-field action.