Lowering Center Field Wall Not the Answer to Wright's Power Outage

The power outage that engulfed the Mets lineup during the 2009 season was both disappointing and bewildering.

Sure the Mets were no "Murderer's Row" and their beautiful new ballpark, CitiField, had garnered a reputation for being a "pitcher's park" before the Mets even played a game there, but few expected a lineup that included David Wright, Carlos Beltran, and Carlos Delgado to completely falter.

That's exactly what happened, however, as the Mets were arguably the worst offensive team in all of baseball last year. The same team that Sports Illustrated pick to win it all in 2009 scored the fifth fewest runs in the National League and hit the fewest home runs in all of baseball, with 95.

Numbers for the entire team were down, many due to injuries, but no player on the Mets roster more embodied the team's struggles at the plate, especially in the power department, than David Wright.

After averaging 26 home runs and 98 RBI per season during his first five years in the Major Leagues, Wright's production plummeted to 10 home runs and 72 RBI. In fact, Wright hit four fewer home runs than he did during his rookie year in 2004, in more than twice as many games.

While there were many factors to Wright's power demise last season, many attributed the power drop to CitiField's quirky and spacious dimensions.

After originally denying there would be any changes made to the dimensions of CitiField during the offseason, the Mets announced last week there would be one minor change made to the new ballpark in Queens.

The height of the Mets' center field wall will be cut in half, from 16 feet to eight feet.

So far, everything the Mets have done this offseason has been geared toward helping the anemic offense. From pursuing Bengie Molina, to considering a return of Carlos Delgado, to signing Jason Bay, the Mets have made this offseason about the offense, the same way they made last offseason about the bullpen.

Now, as the Mets announce this small change to CitiField, it's hard not to think they are doing so with one benefit in mind...restoring Wright's power.

It's a nice idea, but if the Mets truly believe that a height difference of eight feet will suddenly add the 20 missing homers to Wright's season total, they're probably mistaken.

First, Wright's power has always been to right-center field. It just so happens the deepest part of right-center in CitiField is also the deepest part of the entire ballpark at 415 feet. Not to mention, there are plenty of quirks in that area of the field's design, such as the upper deck over hang.

Maybe bringing in the fences in this area of the ballpark would have been a better idea.

Second, there is plenty to suggest that nothing done to CitiField's dimensions would have helped Wright in 2009.

Wright was equally powerless on the road as he was in his new home digs. He put up even home run numbers at home and on the road, hitting five a piece.

Also, let's not forget that with all of the injuries to the Mets last season, Wright played much of 2009 with little to no protection in the lineup. As the season wound down, and more and more of the Mets starters missed time due to injuries, there was absolutely no reason for an opposing pitcher to throw Wright anything he could drive.

If you think about it, as amazing as Wright's sudden power decline was last season, it's equally amazing that he could hit over .300 surrounded by borderline Major League talent.

All of this suggests, that maybe CitiField's reputation got into Wright's head early, and the longer he went without hitting home runs, the more he pressed and struggled. No retooling of any ballpark could help with that.

Which brings us back to the lowering of the center field fence. Maybe the Mets hope that this will help Wright stop pressing at the plate, the same way that the original dimensions of the ballpark may have started this all. It may just be a symbolic gesture to help the team's franchise player.

Other than that, there isn't much benefit to the new height of Citifield's center field wall. Sure, maybe the lower wall will allow a few more home runs to find their way out of the new home of the Mets in 2010, but other than that, this move is much ado about nothing.

Unless, of course, it helps David Wright regain his power stroke.