MIAMI -- Opening Day on Thursday featured an MLB-record 48 home runs, with four coming in the Marlins’ 6-3 loss to the Rockies at Marlins Park.
Neil Walker, JT Riddle and Jorge Alfaro connected on solo shots for Miami, while Trevor Story went deep for the Rockies. Home run numbers have been on the rise for the most part for years, but they haven’t historically come at spacious Marlins Park.
With Marlins Park’s expansion gaps, and center field at 407 feet, many long drives to the middle of the field often turn into loud outs. But the retractable-roof ballpark seems to play a little more favorably to straight-away left and right fields.
All four of the home runs on Thursday were either to left or right field.
“It’s pretty fair, straight-away to right and left,” said Walker, who belted a pinch-hit shot in the eighth inning. “It’s not fair from right-center to left-center, for sure. But there are a lot of hits to be had because the outfielders tend to play deeper here than they do at most ballparks. It’s similar to Colorado without the elevation. I think that’s how we’re set up.”
According to Statcast, Marlins Park actually is tough to homer at to left and right, as well as center.
Since 2015, when Statcast launched, Marlins Park ranks 24th among 30 ballparks in home run barrel percentage to left field and right. Barrels are optimal struck balls that factor in exit velocity and launch angles. In that span, 63.5 percent of barrels were home runs to left and right field.
By contrast, Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati is first in home run barrel percentage to the corners, 81.2 percent, while Oracle Park in San Francisco ranks last at 50.4 percent.
“Like any park, balls you hit good to straight-away right, straight-away left are going to go out of most parks,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. “[Marlins Park] is going to play fair. It’s the cheapies that you get in certain ballparks that you’re not going to get here. But I think it’s fair. You’ve got to hit it, but it will go. That’s the one thing.”
Going deep to center is even more challenging. Marlins Park ranks 26th in homer barrel rates to the middle of the park, with 11.3 percent of barrels resulting in home runs. Coors Field in Colorado and Miller Park in Milwaukee are tied for first at 23.5 percent. Comerica Park in Detroit is last at 4.8 percent.
Garrett Cooper was victimized by the ballpark in the second inning on Opening Day, crushing a drive to right-center in the second inning off Kyle Freeland that Statcast projected at 393 feet and 101 mph. But it was a long out.
“Everyone knows Marlins Park is pretty big to the gaps,” Cooper said. “The ball I hit [Thursday] was about as good as I can get it to right-center. It’s definitely a little bit tougher than most ballparks. As a hitter, you’re working left-center to right-center, which you’re taught to. That’s a big strong suit to my game, and most guys’ game, is to hit the gap.”
Worth noting
Shortstop prospect Osiris Johnson underwent right tibial stress fracture surgery on Friday. With anticipated recovery time being five to six months, there’s a chance the 18-year-old will be lost for the season. Miami’s second-round pick in 2018, Johnson is ranked 12th by MLB Pipeline on the Marlins’ Top 30 list. He was expected to open at low Class A Clinton.
Opening Day starter Jose Urena, who was struck on the inside of his left knee by a comebacker on Thursday, is progressing and is expected to make his next scheduled start, which would be Tuesday against the Mets. Urena is slated to throw a bullpen session on Sunday. If that goes well, he should be good to go against New York.