Built in 1998 for the expansion Diamondbacks, Chase Field has a handful of unique aspects that make it unlike any other MLB venue. The most distinguishing of which is the Phoenix climate, which routinely eclipses 100 degrees from mid-May through the end of September. A retractable roof is a necessity in Arizona and the one at Chase is closed about two-thirds of the time. When The roof is left open (usually in April, May, and September), the temperature averages 89 degrees (highest in MLB). The heat combined with the high altitude in Phoenix gives fly balls a noticeable boost in distance. A standard fly ball is expected to carry 410 feet at Chase. That’s 10 feet farther than the MLB median and only
Coors Field has a longer expected carry. Like in Denver, humidity is extremely low and in 2018 Chase became the 2nd MLB venue to store its baseballs in a humidor, which has the effect of reducing the distance of batted balls.
The stadium architects clearly anticipated the bump up in distance as the outfield ranks 4th largest in MLB. The most distinguishing feature of the playing field is the wide, 25-foot tall fence in center field, which turns lots of would-be homers into doubles and triples throughout the course of a season. Extra base hits are often conceded down the lines as well where the fences extend uniquely away from the foul poles, giving right and left-fielders an excess of ground to cover. The park is also rated highly for batter contact (4th in MLB). Overall, Ballpark Pal rates Chase Field 14th in for HRs, 3rd for doubles and triples, and 5th for total runs.
