Fenway Park

  Built in 1912, Fenway Park is the oldest active MLB stadium. It is perhaps the most famous venue in American sports (or at least in the top 3) and it undoubtedly lives up to its expectations.

  Each component of Fenway’s outfield perimeter is unlike any other major league park. Its main focal point of course is the iconic “Green Monster” which stretches all the way across left field. Measuring a full 37 feet high, the tall fence effectively offsets the extremely short distance from home plate. In fact, left field plays close to neutral for home runs despite measuring just 310 to the left field pole. The types of home runs that make it out of the yard in left, however, often differ from what is typical at other parks. While glorified pop ups can sometimes make it over the LF fence at Fenway, the Green Monster can turn would-be homers in other parks into doubles and even singles off the wall.

  Fenway Park measures just 390 to straight-away center, which is closer to home plate than any active MLB venue (Oracle Park is 1 foot farther). But the 18-foot fence makes CF a relatively difficult home run spot. It’s undoubtedly more difficult to to hit a HR to right-center where the fence angles out toward what’s famously known as “The Triangle”, measuring 420 to its deepest point.

  In sharp contrast with the left side of the field, Fenway Park’s right side features a very short 5-foot fence from The Triangle all the way over to the right field pole. “Pesky’s Pole” (named in honor of shortstop Johnny Pesky) stands just 302 feet from home plate. But that distance can be misleading as the fence continues to extend up the field toward what is one of MLB’s toughest home run spots. Measuring close to 380 at its deepest point, right field used to be even deeper before the bullpens were placed in front of the bleachers prior to the 1940 season. The change effectively brought the fence in by about 25 feet and was done so to help the left-handed power hitter Ted Williams hit more home runs.

  Although one of the more difficult venues for HRs, Fenway is notorious for adding runs to the scoreboard. It's one of the best parks for hits in the yard as the tall fences in left and open spaces in right often reward what are often outs in other parks. Overall, Ballpark Pal rates the venue 24th for HRs, 4th for singles, and 2nd for doubles and triples.

  Fenway Park isn’t just interesting for its dimensions as external factors tend to play a major role. Average wind speed is only 7 mph, but it can be highly variable with a good portion of games played in double-digit wind speeds. When the wind is blowing, It tends to have a decent impact on how the ball carries. Ballpark Pal rates Fenway 3rd most receptive to wind in MLB, although out-blowing winds do tend to have a greater effect than in-blowing ones. The wind blows from the right side 46% of the time (vs 27% from the left) and it blows out about three times as often as it blows in. Temperature in Boston can also be highly variable with 43% of games played either above 80 or below 60 degrees. Overall, Ballpark Pal rates Fenway Park 5th in day-to-day park variation.