Royals announce new dimensions for outfield wall at Kauffman Stadium
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KQTV) -- The Kansas City Royals will move their outfield fence in by 8 to 10 feet, ESPN and MLB reported.
Work on the project has already begun and will be completed ahead of the Royals' home opener against the Minnesota Twins on Monday, March 30.
The project, launched in early May 2025, would affect the offensive environment, allowing more home runs to be scored and extra-base hits, while bringing fans closer to the experience.
"We've discussed this possibility for years, and after much work by our Research and Development department, believe this will be a positive change for our baseball team," Royals Executive Vice President and General Manager J.J. Picollo told MLB. "We wanted more consistency throughout the season, while making sure the specifics put us in the best position to succeed."
Kauffman Stadium has the second-largest playing area in the MLB, compared to Coors Field in Denver, Colorado.
The new wall will come in about 8 to 10 feet, starting near each foul pole. The gaps will go from 387 feet to 379 and taper back toward centerfield, which will remain 410 feet.
The height of the wall will change from 10 feet tall to 8 1/2 feet.
The change also brings the addition of 150 seats in left field and about 80 new drinkrail seats in right field.
According to the team's research, the changes will take the run value of fly balls at Kauffman from the bottom third of MLB ballparks to the middle, through the extra-base hits.
Fences at The K have been modified in the past. Between 1995 and 2003, they moved in by 10 feet, where the park was ranked "slightly above-average" for a home run park, according to ESPN.
The Royals returned to their former fence dimensions in 2004.
As the Royals explore building a new ballpark following the 2030 season, when their lease at the Truman Sports Complex expires, the effort signals anticipated growth within the organization over the next five years.
