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Trey Mancini Agrees with Aaron Judge's Critique of Camden Yards: 'Nobody Likes It'
May 19, 2022
New York Yankees star Aaron Judge isn't the only player that dislikes Camden Yards' new pitcher-friendly left-field wall.
Even Baltimore Orioles slugger Trey Mancini dislikes the new dimensions of the wall, which has been pushed back about 30 feet and raised to 12 feet high, making it more difficult for batters to hit a left-field home run.
"Nobody likes it," Mancini told Nathan Ruiz of The Baltimore Sun. "No hitters like it, myself included."
Judge's initial comments came after he was robbed of a home run in the first inning of Tuesday's 5-4 win over the Orioles at Camden Yards. He sent a blast out to left field that traveled 399 feet and instead of sailing into the stands, it bounced off the new left-field wall.
The hit would have been a home run in all of the other 29 MLB parks, Ruiz noted. It even would have been a homer at Camden Yards last season. After the game, Judge said the changes to Camden Yards are a "travesty" and that it now looks like a "create-a-park."
That said, Mancini added that there's not much hitters can do at this point.
"There's nothing we can do to change it," Mancini told Ruiz. "It's nothing you can be thinking about when you're up at the plate. But it doesn't make it any less tough when you hit a ball that you think should definitely be a homer."
Nearly every batter has had difficulty hitting a home run at Camden Yards this season, with just 1.8 percent of plate appearances resulting in a round-tripper, per ESPN Stats and Information.
Last year, Camden Yards saw 4.5 percent of plate appearances result in a homer, which was the highest percentage in the league, per ESPN Stats and Information. The Orioles gave up 155 home runs at home in 2021.
Both Judge and Mancini have hit their fair share of home runs over the years, too. However, Mancini entered Thursday's game against the Yankees without a home run at Camden Yards this season.
In 16 home games, Mancini is hitting .307/.343/.339 with 19 hits, two of which are doubles, and four RBI. For comparison, he hit 14 home runs in 75 games in Baltimore last season.
Judge, meanwhile, leads the league in home runs this season with 14 and is hitting .306/.373/.672. He hit six homers at Camden Yards last season and has two so far at the ballpark this year.