Minor League Park Factors 2021

New leagues. New teams. New affiliations. New schedules. In some cases, new parks—or at least novel arrangements.

The minor leagues in 2021 looked different than they did in 2019.

And we loved every second of it after the scuttled 2020 season.

With the new minor league landscape comes new minor league ballpark data. This post compares home output and road output for all 120 full-season minor league teams in 11 leagues to create basic park factors. The statistics measured are Runs, Home Runs and BABIP, or batting average on balls in play.

These basic park factors are expressed as both a comparison index, where 100 is average, and a multiplier that halves the magnitude of park factors to reflect the fact that players compile only half their statistics at their home parks.

It wouldn’t be 2021 without caveats and distortions. Because schedules tended to be more regional this season than in the past, the “neutral” road sample is not as robust as in the past. Also, the sample is smaller. Rather than the standard 70 home games of the past, most Triple-A teams played 65 home games this season, while most teams at Double-A, High-A and Low-A played 60 home games.

Other caveats are noted as footnotes to each league.

Triple-A East

		Runs		Home Runs		BABIP
Team	Org	PF	Mult	PF	Mult	PF	Mult
Buffalo	TOR	102	1.012	89	0.945	104	1.020
Charlotte	CWS	113	1.065	135	1.173	106	1.032
Columbus	CLE	107	1.035	124	1.121	96	0.982
Durham	TB	113	1.064	112	1.060	102	1.012
Gwinnett	ATL	100	1.001	88	0.942	105	1.025
Indianapolis	PIT	99	0.996	84	0.922	100	0.999
Iowa	CHC	109	1.045	113	1.067	103	1.017
Jacksonville	MIA	91	0.955	83	0.913	93	0.967
Lehigh Valley	PHI	110	1.052	73	0.866	106	1.031
Louisville	CIN	97	0.986	108	1.038	98	0.990
Memphis	STL	109	1.043	103	1.013	105	1.023
Nashville	MIL	92	0.959	74	0.870	102	1.008
Norfolk	BAL	84	0.919	80	0.902	92	0.960
Omaha	KC	90	0.952	96	0.980	101	1.006
Rochester	WSH	89	0.944	80	0.899	101	1.006
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre	NYY	89	0.945	117	1.084	94	0.971
St. Paul	MIN	105	1.025	142	1.208	98	0.990
Syracuse	NYM	113	1.064	129	1.144	100	1.000
Toledo	DET	94	0.970	77	0.884	98	0.991
Worcester	BOS	99	0.995	118	1.088	95	0.977

Buffalo played its home games in Trenton, N.J., in May, June and July before going back to Sahlen Field in August, when the Blue Jays returned to Toronto. Trenton played in the Double-A Eastern League in 2019 but was dropped from affiliated baseball when MLB took over the minor leagues.

Triple-A West

		Runs		Home Runs		BABIP
Team	Org	PF	Mult	PF	Mult	PF	Mult
Albuquerque	COL	112	1.059	114	1.072	109	1.045
El Paso	SD	124	1.121	127	1.137	107	1.033
Las Vegas	OAK	128	1.141	114	1.070	112	1.059
Oklahoma City	LAD	83	0.916	77	0.883	95	0.974
Reno	ARI	106	1.031	109	1.044	101	1.003
Round Rock	TEX	97	0.985	108	1.042	97	0.984
Sacramento	SF	88	0.939	106	1.031	93	0.967
Salt Lake	LAA	106	1.029	100	1.001	107	1.033
Sugar Land	HOU	78	0.892	70	0.849	90	0.951
Tacoma	SEA	85	0.923	86	0.931	90	0.948

 

 

Double-A Central

		Runs		Home Runs		BABIP
Team	Org	PF	Mult	PF	Mult	PF	Mult
Amarillo	ARI	127	1.133	169	1.343	107	1.036
Arkansas	SEA	78	0.892	58	0.789	94	0.968
Corpus Christi	HOU	93	0.963	114	1.071	93	0.964
Frisco	TEX	111	1.055	114	1.070	95	0.976
Midland	OAK	94	0.971	59	0.797	115	1.074
Northwest Arkansas	KC	93	0.965	109	1.045	97	0.984
San Antonio	SD	88	0.938	64	0.820	96	0.978
Springfield	STL	111	1.053	129	1.143	107	1.034
Tulsa	LAD	103	1.016	97	0.983	97	0.987
Wichita	MIN	105	1.024	94	0.969	100	1.000

 

Double-A Northeast

		Runs		Home Runs		BABIP
Team	Org	PF	Mult	PF	Mult	PF	Mult
Akron	CLE	91	0.954	70	0.849	95	0.974
Altoona	PIT	100	1.002	77	0.883	104	1.022
Binghamton	NYM	95	0.973	85	0.925	101	1.004
Bowie	BAL	122	1.111	135	1.174	99	0.994
Erie	DET	90	0.951	99	0.993	102	1.012
Harrisburg	WSH	94	0.971	108	1.039	99	0.996
Hartford	COL	100	0.998	109	1.043	100	0.999
New Hampshire	TOR	103	1.013	97	0.983	100	1.002
Portland	BOS	102	1.011	89	0.945	103	1.014
Reading	PHI	115	1.077	150	1.250	102	1.010
Richmond	SF	92	0.961	77	0.886	103	1.014
Somerset	NYY	99	0.994	117	1.087	92	0.961

 

Double-A South

		Runs		Home Runs		BABIP
Team	Org	PF	Mult	PF	Mult	PF	Mult
Biloxi	MIL	103	1.016	105	1.025	95	0.976
Birmingham	CWS	94	0.972	101	1.005	98	0.992
Chattanooga	CIN	125	1.125	101	1.003	107	1.036
Mississippi	ATL	81	0.906	53	0.766	96	0.982
Montgomery	TB	107	1.037	107	1.033	104	1.018
Pensacola	MIA	92	0.960	98	0.992	102	1.012
Rocket City	LAA	94	0.969	135	1.175	97	0.986
Tennessee	CHC	107	1.037	114	1.072	101	1.003

 

High-A Central

		Runs		Home Runs		BABIP
Team	Org	PF	Mult	PF	Mult	PF	Mult
Beloit	MIA	116	1.079	110	1.051	102	1.009
Cedar Rapids	MIN	94	0.969	79	0.894	94	0.972
Dayton	CIN	100	0.999	113	1.064	106	1.032
Fort Wayne	SD	104	1.022	108	1.040	105	1.023
Great Lakes	LAD	94	0.972	90	0.948	100	1.002
Lake County	CLE	99	0.996	141	1.207	91	0.954
Lansing	OAK	124	1.120	108	1.038	106	1.030
Peoria	STL	87	0.936	104	1.021	97	0.983
Quad Cities	KC	92	0.961	96	0.981	104	1.018
South Bend	CHC	102	1.008	88	0.938	102	1.008
West Michigan	DET	85	0.927	53	0.766	91	0.955
Wisconsin	MIL	108	1.040	132	1.158	103	1.017

Beloit, Wis., moved into newly-built ABC Supply Stadium on Aug. 3 after spending nearly 40 years at Pohlman field.

High-A East

		Runs		Home Runs		BABIP
Team	Org	PF	Mult	PF	Mult	PF	Mult
Aberdeen	BAL	93	0.965	73	0.866	100	0.998
Asheville	HOU	138	1.188	141	1.204	117	1.084
Bowling Green	TB	93	0.966	97	0.985	99	0.996
Brooklyn	NYM	80	0.898	52	0.761	96	0.979
Greensboro	PIT	116	1.082	194	1.470	92	0.960
Greenville	BOS	101	1.006	96	0.978	106	1.029
Hickory	TEX	97	0.985	113	1.065	101	1.005
Hudson Valley	NYY	106	1.029	105	1.024	105	1.026
Jersey Shore	PHI	97	0.987	117	1.084	99	0.993
Rome	ATL	84	0.921	51	0.753	99	0.994
Wilmington	WSH	100	1.000	95	0.977	95	0.976
Winston-Salem	CWS	92	0.962	81	0.905	93	0.963

This league featured three parks—Aberdeen, Brooklyn, Hudson Valley—that were moving from the short-season New York-Penn League to full-season status.

High-A West

		Runs		Home Runs		BABIP
Team	Org	PF	Mult	PF	Mult	PF	Mult
Eugene	SF	97	0.985	109	1.045	108	1.038
Everett	SEA	121	1.103	152	1.259	112	1.058
Hillsboro	ARI	96	0.982	74	0.869	99	0.997
Spokane	COL	131	1.153	173	1.363	99	0.996
Tri-City	LAA	81	0.905	56	0.778	94	0.970
Vancouver	TOR	80	0.900	61	0.803	91	0.953

Because of issues crossing the border into Canada during the pandemic, Vancouver played its home schedule in Hillsboro, Ore., all season.

Low-A East

		Runs		Home Runs		BABIP
Team	Org	PF	Mult	PF	Mult	PF	Mult
Augusta	ATL	94	0.969	113	1.063	97	0.987
Carolina	MIL	115	1.073	124	1.122	107	1.037
Charleston	TB	91	0.957	90	0.950	88	0.941
Columbia	KC	116	1.082	131	1.154	103	1.014
Delmarva	BAL	96	0.978	94	0.972	93	0.967
Down East	TEX	94	0.970	105	1.023	96	0.982
Fayetteville	HOU	91	0.953	93	0.963	102	1.008
Fredericksburg	WSH	102	1.009	118	1.089	103	1.014
Kannapolis	CWS	107	1.035	98	0.990	102	1.008
Lynchburg	CLE	115	1.077	133	1.163	103	1.013
Myrtle Beach	CHC	89	0.945	76	0.878	101	1.003
Salem	BOS	96	0.980	53	0.764	104	1.021

 

Low-A Southeast

		Runs		Home Runs		BABIP
Team	Org	PF	Mult	PF	Mult	PF	Mult
Bradenton	PIT	111	1.056	165	1.327	101	1.007
Clearwater	PHI	115	1.073	126	1.128	101	1.007
Daytona	CIN	91	0.954	92	0.960	102	1.012
Dunedin	TOR	87	0.934	88	0.938	93	0.967
Fort Myers	MIN	96	0.979	102	1.008	95	0.974
Jupiter	MIA	95	0.974	76	0.881	98	0.991
Lakeland	DET	91	0.957	80	0.902	98	0.991
Palm Beach	STL	89	0.945	48	0.740	95	0.977
St. Lucie	NYM	124	1.119	139	1.193	111	1.056
Tampa	NYY	107	1.035	107	1.034	105	1.023

Jupiter and Palm Beach both play home games at Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter, an arrangement preserved from their Florida State League days.

Dunedin moved its home operations around the league while the Blue Jays played their games there early in the season.

Low-A West

		Runs		Home Runs		BABIP
Team	Org	PF	Mult	PF	Mult	PF	Mult
Fresno	COL	116	1.078	145	1.223	97	0.987
Inland Empire	LAA	97	0.987	87	0.933	106	1.030
Lake Elsinore	SD	99	0.993	65	0.826	99	0.997
Modesto	SEA	91	0.957	69	0.845	104	1.020
Rancho Cucamonga	LAD	105	1.026	115	1.075	98	0.992
San Jose	SF	98	0.990	77	0.887	102	1.011
Stockton	OAK	99	0.993	160	1.301	90	0.952
Visalia	ARI	100	1.000	109	1.046	104	1.021