The Baltimore Orioles achieved a goal when they modified the dimensions of Camden Yards before the 2022 season, pushing back the left field fences, raising the wall, and aiming to create a more favorable environment for pitchers regardless of their throwing style.

Now, they recognize that they may have gone too far.

On a video call Friday, Orioles executive vice president Mike Elias announced plans to move the left field fences closer, adjusting them by 9 to 20 feet, and lowering the height of the now notorious left field wall.

After three seasons of data showed that Camden Yards transitioned from a hitter-friendly park to one that hampered even champions like the Yankees’ Aaron Judge, who labeled it a “Create-A-Park” and a “travesty,” the Orioles are rethinking their approach.

In 2021, prior to the adjustments, Camden Yards was a paradise for hitters—with a Statcast Park Factors ranking of No. 3, boasting a 105 rating, where 100 is neutral, and a home run ranking of 124, tied for second place.

Fast forward to 2024, and Camden Yards is now rated the 19^th best for hitters, with a 99 rating indicating a pitcher-friendly environment, and its home run rating at just 93, placing it 20^th.

This is a surprising turnaround, especially since the right-field wall remains a favored target for left-handed hitters.

Elias mentioned in the call that having another offseason for adjustments will help reach the ideal setup for that corner of the park.

“Given the unpredictability of the game and the offensive landscapes, it became clear through our experiences over three years that while our changes were directionally sound, we overdid it,” Elias explained. “We aimed to solve this promptly and plan for a more balanced environment by 2025.

“We hope that by bringing in the dimensions a little—between 9 and 20 feet—we can get closer to our original aim of a neutral setting that promotes balanced playing styles, as the park was too friendly to hitters before and now is excessively skewed in favor of pitchers.

“We’re looking for a more neutral playing field, yet still one that benefits pitchers at Camden Yards while being less extreme, especially for our right-handed hitters.”

Elias noted that there was no need for formal discussions with right-handed hitters, as the team interacts with them regularly.

“This isn’t something we needed to call a meeting for. However, the extent of the disparities in the park became a bigger topic than we expected, and it turned into a distraction. For both our right-handed and left-handed batters, some of the extremes were off-putting.”

Although Elias didn’t specifically mention that these changes were intended to attract right-handed power hitters, it could certainly have a positive impact. The Orioles are likely to target Dodgers slugger Teoscar Hernández in free agency, while their own free agent, Anthony Santander, who hits from both sides, could also benefit from the changes; last season, he hit 44 home runs, averaging one every 13.6 at-bats as a lefty and 15 at-bats as a righty.