As the Cincinnati Reds stare at the mounting distance above them in the standings, they may not be able to help but notice a troubling trend. Each team currently in playoff position has a winning percentage near .600 at home. The Reds are lagging behind their competitors. No matter how this season ends, Cincinnati needs to turn Great American Ball Park into a fortress by acquiring a power bat.
The Reds’ home stadium has long been one of the friendliest hitters’ parks in the majors, particularly for right-handed batters. Statcast’s Park Factors puts GABP just behind Dodger Stadium and Yankee Stadium and notes that righties in Cincy are 18% more likely to produce a home run.