(Bobby Witt Jr. via Brandon Sloter/Getty Images)
The Kansas City Royals believe they have found a unique way to win more games while also increasing team revenue. They aren’t charging fans more money for tickets, beefing up their analytics department, or signing any big-name free agents. Instead, they are moving the majority of Kauffman Stadium’s outfield fence in by about 10 feet.
The theory is simple: Kauffman Stadium currently has the second-largest playing field area in the majors at 115,737 feet. The ballpark ranks above average for singles (7th), doubles (5th), and triples (3rd), but just 26th for home runs. And when you adjust for the impact of Kansas City’s prevailing westerly winds on right-handed hitters, Kauffman’s fences actually play approximately 5 feet longer than their listed distances.
So, by shortening the stadium’s fences by about 10 feet, the analytics tell us the Royals will hit a few dozen more home runs per season, resulting in 1.5 additional wins.
In the 2024-25 free agency market, teams spent approximately $8-10 million per WAR (Wins Above Replacement). That means an extra 1.5 wins per season could be worth $12-15 million. If you multiply that over five years, a construction project that will take two months and cost less than $5 million could be worth more than $60 million to the Royals, an exceptional outcome for a small market, below-average payroll team.
But that’s the type of analysis you can get anywhere. The truth is, the Royals aren’t doing this just to generate more offense. The real story involves a NASA award-winning computer scientist, rigorous financial models, and a controversial belief that creative engineering can improve on-field performance while also increasing revenue.
This is something that every sports fan and executive should care about because it gives us an inside look at how teams are now optimizing their physical infrastructure with the same analytical rigor they apply to player acquisition. And if Kauffman’s new design proves that Moneyball-esque analytics extend far beyond a player’s exit velocity and launch angle, you can guarantee several other MLB teams will try it too.