Kansas City Royals general manager J.J. Picollo hopped on a conference call with the majority of the club\u2019s 40-man roster.<\/p>\n
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He had news to share.<\/p>\n
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On Tuesday, the Royals announced plans to move their outfield walls in<\/a> at Kauffman Stadium. The decision was made to better align with typical Major League Baseball ballparks and generate more offense.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI think every one of our players know we wouldn\u2019t do anything to hurt our team,\u201d Picollo said. \u201cYou know, when you really break it down in a simple way to explain it, we believe this benefits our team. And in the end, we had a very supportive group.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Royals will bring the outfield wall in about 8 to 10 feet \u2014 starting near each foul pole. The outfield gaps will move from 387 feet to 379 and taper back toward center field, which remains at 410 feet.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n KC also decided to lower the height of the outfield wall from 10 feet to 8 \u00bd feet in most places. The club is adding 150 seats in left field and around 80 new drinkrail seats in right field.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The changes are expected to lift the offense.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWe play 81 home games and we are on the short end of some offense simply because it\u2019s a tough ballpark to hit the ball out,\u201d Picollo said.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Royals said they conducted extensive research in recent months. They were ranked in the bottom third of run value for flyballs at Kauffman Stadium. It was simply difficult to hit baseballs out due to multiple factors.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Royals assistant general manager Daniel Mack led the research project. He found that certain wind trajectories affected how far the ball traveled. And it was happening often.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s one of those ballparks where the wind, on average, hurts us,\u201d Mack said. \u201cIt\u2019s as if our park plays, with the walls, about 5 feet further back on average.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Royals hope to strike an offensive balance. The club hopes that with a new outfield there won\u2019t be a significant difference between playing in home and away games.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWe think that\u2019s a better way for our hitters,\u201d Mack said. \u201cThey don\u2019t have to worry about playing in one offensive space 81 times and then play across the entire spectrum the rest of the time when they go on the road. It\u2019s something that gives them a sense of consistency and fairness.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Last season, the Royals could\u2019ve benefited from the new dimensions. In March, Royals second baseman Jonathan India nearly hit consecutive homers<\/a> against the Cleveland Guardians. He belted two flyballs that traveled 368 and 343 feet.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Both flyouts might\u2019ve played differently with the new outfield layout. Instead, they represented two routine outs.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Royals estimate the new outfield dimensions could\u2019ve contributed to around one more home run per series. In total, the Royals could\u2019ve had 30 more home runs as a team.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThe hitters are going to have a better chance to be rewarded when they hit a ball well without the ball being caught,\u201d Picollo said.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Royals have the potential to be a high-powered offense. The club has three All-Stars in Bobby Witt Jr., Salvador Perez and Maikel Garcia. Additionally, Vinnie Pasquantino posted a career year in 2025<\/a> while Jac Caglianone and Carter Jensen are seen as top-level prospects.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n![\"Kauffman](\"https:\/\/www.kansascity.com\/public\/latest-news\/k8ci2e\/picture314312307\/alternates\/FREE_1140\/kauffman-changes.jpg\" "\\"kauffman-changes.jpg\\"")