Royals have hit MLB’s fewest homers, but they could get boost from Rays stadium
A year ago, the Royals hit 170 home runs, which tied for the 20th-most in Major League Baseball, but the power has been lacking through the first month of the season.
The Royals have hit just 13 home runs, the fewest in the majors. They are on pace to have only 73 homers this season. The Blue Jays have the second-to-last homers (15), while the White Sox and Phillies have 22 each.
That lack of power is one reason why Royals fans have clamored for top prospect Jac Caglianone to be promoted from Double-A Northwest Arkansas.
But there could be good news coming soon. It’s because of where the Royals will be playing the next three days. They open a three-game series Tuesday night against the Rays, who are in a temporary home.
Hurricane Milton ravaged Tropicana Field last October, and the Rays are playing at the Yankees’ spring training home, Steinbrenner Field.
According to the Only Homers website, there have been 48 home runs hit at Steinbrenner Field, which is tied for the most with Yankees Stadium. Rays pitchers have served up an MLB-high 39 home runs this season, and 29 of those have been allowed at Steinbrenner Field.
Earlier this month, John Romano of the Tampa Bay Times wrote a column with the headline, “How long before the Trop is fixed? Cuz Steinbrenner seems homer-happy.”
“This park is going to play the way we expected it to play. I don’t think we’re going to be able to use that excuse for 80 games this year,” Rays pitcher Zack Littell told Romano. “Our goal is to keep them off the (bat) barrel. If you keep them off the barrel, it doesn’t matter if you’re playing in a Little League stadium, you’re not going to hit a home run.
“So, to blame the 15 extra feet they’re getting in right field is just not going to do it.”
The right-field fence is only 8 feet closer, but it’s 314 feet down the line. And, as MLB’s website noted, the Steinbrenner Field dimensions are the same as Yankee Stadium, “which famously tends to benefit left-handed power hitters.“
One factor that has played into the home runs is the wind.
Michael Rosen of FanGraphs took a closer look at that impact for a story earlier this month.
“Strong winds, it turns out, are a typical part of the GMS Field experience. ... I looked at wind data from equivalent game times from the Tampa International Airport data station, which is adjacent to GMS Field, during the 2024 season,” Rosen wrote. “The average wind speed was just over 12 mph, which would’ve ranked as the windiest fully outdoor stadium in baseball according to the late David Kagan’s 2015 rankings for The Hardball Times.“
That wind can be a bigger factor based on where the Rays are playing their home games. Rosen quoted Rays president Matt Silverman, who was interviewed during the team’s home opener.
“When you don’t have that second deck, you don’t have as much protection from the wind,” Silverman said. “So it has a little bit more of an exaggerated effect than normal major league ballparks.”
At this point, any help in hitting home runs will be welcomed by the Royals.
This story was originally published April 29, 2025 at 12:02 PM.
