$1bn stadium crowned best MLB ballpark as climate change and $700m star make impact

Mar 23, 2026 - 12:45

For years, the New York Yankees dominated the MLB both on and off the field.

But a new force has entered the fray in the last few years — the Los Angeles Dodgers.

A general view of fans in the stands as confetti falls during the Los Angeles Dodgers World Series Championship celebration at Dodger Stadium on Monday, November 3, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. — The Dodgers are the team to beat in the MLB at the moment

Since the start of 2020, the Dodgers have taken home three World Series titles, and are aiming to become the first team since the Yankees to three-peat in the upcoming 2026 season.

A star-studded roster led by two-way phenom Shohei Ohtani and pitching staff led by Yoshinobu Yamamoto have been key to their glory.

And now, a RotoWire MLB study, built on Statcast data from 2020 through to 2025, has given a good indication as to why they are so successful.

Ask any MLB fan which ballpark they think has the most balls to reach the seats, they would immediately answer Great American Ballpark (Cincinnati Reds) or Coors Field (Colorado Rockies).

But the study revealed that the hallowed grounds of Chavez Ravine is home to the most homers of any MLB park since 2020.

There have been 1,241 balls launched into the bleachers at the home of the Dodgers, 20 more than Great American Ballpark, and 25 more than Yankee Stadium.

For years, Dodger Stadium, which has just found its new field sponsor, was known as a suffocating place for hitters, but the narrative has clearly been shifted.

The addition of Ohtani to an already strong lineup was always destined to cause the numbers to rise.

“I think that our team is a big part of hitting them,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said after being told Dodger Stadium had seen the most home runs in baseball.

“We play 81 games at home. So offensively, we’ve done a good job of hitting homers in our ballpark. And when you get Shohei, it skews that number a little bit, too.”

Los Angeles Dodgers right fielder Alex Call (12) cannot jump high enough to catch a first pitch of the game lead off home run by Toronto Blue Jays left fielder Davis Schneider (36) as the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-1 in game five of the MLB World Series at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles . October 29, 2025. — 1,241 home runs have been hit in Dodger Stadium since the start of 2020, the most in across the entire MLB

Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Dodgers hits a solo home run in the seventh inning during Game Three of the 2025 World Series presented by Capital One between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on Monday, October 27, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. — The addition of Ohtani was destined to boost the home run numbers

The Japanese phenom has already crushed 109 home runs in his two seasons with the Dodgers, including 57 at Dodger Stadium.

But there is a more interesting factor that the study uncovered, which plays a part in the rise of the home run ball.

A weather pattern known as ‘marine layer forces’ makes the air denser at times, which keeps the ball from flying as far as it normally would.

But over the last decade, due to climate change and global warming, the average temperature in Los Angeles from April to September has risen by three degrees Fahrenheit.

“I think there’s something to the air in the summertime,” Roberts added.

“The air gets light and the ball flies. But it is a surprising stat of all the ballparks in the big leagues Dodger Stadium leads the league in home runs.”

Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Dodgers walks during the 17th inning against the Toronto Blue Jays in game three of the 2025 World Series at Dodger Stadium — Climate plays an important role in how the ball flies off the bat, and the ingredients are perfect in California

Even the Los Angeles Angels, who haven’t gotten close to replicating the Dodgers’ success, ranks fourth on the list with 1,150 home runs.

Thus reinforcing the narrative that the California climate dictates how the balls fly out of the ballpark.

As for the three-peat dreaming Dodgers, they will look to add to that tally on Thursday, when they face the Arizona Diamondbacks on Opening Day.

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