Jayson Stark of ESPN reported on Friday there are “rumblings” about the Mets discussing moving in the outfield fences. This is something that Sandy Alderson has not dismissed since taking over as GM this past fall.

If you watch any of the games at Citi Field this appears to be a no brainer. The high wall in left, 415 foot “Mo Zone,” and the odd homerun line in center field are usually the first complaints about the ballpark. Looking at some quick data it may be more perception than reality.

According to ESPN MLB Park Factors, Citi Field was sixth in home runs allowed going into last night’s action. This has led to it being in the top ten in runs. It also is among the best in baseball for doubles and triples, with the latter for obvious reasons. Of course, the Mets poor pitching in the early season is also to blame for these numbers.

Using MLB Gameday BIP Location data, I put all the hits at Citi Field over a template of Shea Stadium. Using this tool it appears there isn’t much of a difference from the old ballpark. Ironically, there have been about six home runs that would not have gone out of Shea Stadium. Note: the purple dots are homers, and the dark blue are doubles.

What this map doesn’t take into account are the doubles off the high left field wall that would have gone out of other ballparks. I don’t have data for that, but lowering the left field wall probably would even the playing field. If that isn’t something they are interested in, perhaps moving the “Mo Zone” in to make it symmetrical with the rest of the fence could be of help (see David Wright).

One other factor is how the ball carries. Don Mattingly commented on how quite a few balls didn’t travel on Friday. The ballpark can become a wind tunnel during various points of the season. Historically, the ball didn’t carry well at Shea Stadium until the summer months. I don’t, however, remember any wind tunnels. I am not sure the team can do much about all that since it has everything to do with the location of the ballpark.

Although the hysteria over Citi Field appears to not completely be warranted, it might behoove the Mets to at least test lowering left field, and consider adjusting the Mo Zone in right.

Mike Silva is a freelance writer and radio host since March of 2007. This website is his own personal "digest" of New York Baseball He's also hosts NYBD Radio on Blog Talk Radio and 1240 AM WGBB. Check out his sports media commentary at www.sportsmediawatchdog.com. Check out his official website, www.mikesilvamedia.com

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Tags: Citi Field, Jayson Stark, Moving the Fences at Citi Field, New York Mets