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By Jon Paul Hoornstra
Contributing Sports Writer
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Why did Baltimore Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman apologize to Ryan Pepiot after hitting a home run against the Tampa Bay Rays pitcher on June 16?
The answer is blowing in the wind.
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Rutschman's home run at George M. Steinbrenner Field was the Orioles' only run in a 7-1 loss to the Rays. Tampa Bay is playing its home games at the former home of the Yankees' Single-A affiliate in 2025 while Tropicana Field undergoes necessary repairs, and the venue has some unusual quirks.
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Compared to other major league venues, Steinbrenner Field is relatively unshielded from the effects of wind. Sometimes that plays in the pitcher's favor, by effecting more movement on his breaking pitches. Other times the wind helps the hitter by aiding the flight of a fly ball.
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So it was when Rutschman got hold of one against Ryan Pepiot. According to an analysis by Weather Applied (which presented its findings Saturday at the annual Saberseminar in Chicago), the ball gained an extra 26 feet because of the wind at Steinbrenner Field, carrying it over the right-field wall.
According to Statcast, it would have been a home run in 20 of 30 parks. But as Eno Sarris pointed out on the latest episode of Rates & Barrels, Statcast does not account for wind factors in specific parks. Most likely, he said, no other park would have carried Rutschman's ball an extra 26 feet regardless of where the outfield wall resides.
"If you took the 26 feet of wind aid off, it would be a homer in zero ballparks," Sarris said.
Rutschman seemed acutely aware of this fact.
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"I was talking to Ryan Pepiot recently," Sarris continued. "We were talking about how much wind there is in his stadium in Tampa, and how the size of the stadium affects (fly balls). It's very wind-affected. And Pepiot was saying 'oh yeah, we're looking at the board all the time to see how it affects our pitches.' It affects their pitch shape!
"And I said, 'oh yeah, that Adley Rutschman homer, c'mon.' He goes, 'I know. I saw him after the game. We're friends, and he apologized to me.' I just thought that was hilarious. He had to apologize for hitting a non-homer off his friend."
The 27-year-old catcher shouldn't have to apologize. The home run was one of nine Rutschman hit this season in 85 games through Monday. The two-time All-Star, who averaged 17 home runs over his first three seasons in MLB, needs all the wind he can get.
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