After Petco Park opened in 2004, the front office was dissatisfied with the number of fly balls that were leaving the yard. But although the outfield was a bit larger than average, it was not exactly a pitcher's haven. Perhaps it was the low altitude, the dominant in-blowing wind from the northwest, or simply perception that contributed to the idea the stadium needed more home runs. Nevertheless, the right field fence was moved in by 11 feet in 2006, then again in 2013 along with the fence in left.
As it stands today, Petco Park plays much closer to league average than its early reputation suggests. Ballpark Pal rates it 19th for runs, 17th for singles, and 21st for doubles and triples, while home runs sit almost perfectly neutral at 16th overall. The dimensions still suppress offense at the margins, but the overall scoring environment is no longer among the league's lowest tiers.
While appearing mostly symmetrical, Petco Park has a few subtleties that make its shape unique. First is how far the CF fence extends horizontally so that the gaps are a bit deeper than average. It also juts in slightly in left-center making that side more appealing to hitters. Petco measures just 322 feet to the right field corner (14 feet shorter than left), but the wall is angled around the foul pole in a way that makes that sliver of field a good target for doubles.
Although the direction is fairly consistent, wind at Petco is moderate rather than negligible. Average wind speed is 9 mph (13th in MLB), with winds blowing out 24% of the time compared to 15% blowing in. Even so, the park does not dramatically amplify wind effects.
Temperature remains one of the most stable features of the San Diego climate. About 30% of games are played in the 60s and 54% in the 70s, making for extremely comfortable and consistent playing conditions. Overall, Ballpark Pal ranks Petco Park 15th in park variation, placing it near the middle of MLB for day-to-day environmental volatility.
As it stands today, Petco Park plays much closer to league average than its early reputation suggests. Ballpark Pal rates it 19th for runs, 17th for singles, and 21st for doubles and triples, while home runs sit almost perfectly neutral at 16th overall. The dimensions still suppress offense at the margins, but the overall scoring environment is no longer among the league's lowest tiers.
While appearing mostly symmetrical, Petco Park has a few subtleties that make its shape unique. First is how far the CF fence extends horizontally so that the gaps are a bit deeper than average. It also juts in slightly in left-center making that side more appealing to hitters. Petco measures just 322 feet to the right field corner (14 feet shorter than left), but the wall is angled around the foul pole in a way that makes that sliver of field a good target for doubles.
Although the direction is fairly consistent, wind at Petco is moderate rather than negligible. Average wind speed is 9 mph (13th in MLB), with winds blowing out 24% of the time compared to 15% blowing in. Even so, the park does not dramatically amplify wind effects.
Temperature remains one of the most stable features of the San Diego climate. About 30% of games are played in the 60s and 54% in the 70s, making for extremely comfortable and consistent playing conditions. Overall, Ballpark Pal ranks Petco Park 15th in park variation, placing it near the middle of MLB for day-to-day environmental volatility.