If you’re not hearing much this year about SunTrust Park being the new “Launching Pad” for home runs, there’s a reason.
Because it’s not.
The ballpark played fair, or neutral, in its inaugural season in 2017 after an initial attention-getting flurry of home runs in first month of the season.
Those early homers led some to prematurely refer to it as the new Launching Pad, the nickname for the Braves’ first home in Atlanta, the since-razed Fulton County Stadium.
This year in its second season, SunTrust Park is actually playing more like a pitcher’s park than one that favors home-run hitters.
Through 18 home games before Saturday, 28 total home runs were hit at SunTrust Park, a rate of 1.56 per game that was the lowest among 30 major league parks. Next-lowest was Oakland Coliseum with 34 homers in 20 games (1.70).
And this despite the fact that the Braves entered Saturday ranked tied for 10th in the majors with 54 home runs and tied with the Cardinals for 10th in homers per game (1.26).
On the road, Braves hitters ranked second in the majors in homers per game at 1.56. But at home they were tied for 24th in homers per game at 0.83.
Meanwhile, Braves pitchers had allowed a majors-low 13 homers in 18 home games (0.72 per game) before Saturday, compared to 22 allowed in 25 road games (0.88 per game).
If the current rate were to hold, the combined 1.56 home-run rate at SunTrust would be lower than the home-run rate in all but two seasons at Turner Field – 1.40 in 2015 and 1.53 in 2009. The Braves hit the fewest total homers in the majors in 2015 (100) and ranked 22nd in 2009 (149).
