With Walltimore Gone, Is the Green Monster Next?

Prior to the 2022 season, the Orioles pushed back and raised Camden Yards’ left field in dramatic fashion. Dubbed Walltimore by the punny media, it made pitchers cheer, and right-handed hitters do the opposite. But the AL East’s long national nightmare is over. Baltimore has announced it is bringing the wall back in as much as 20 feet in some areas and lowering it by up to six feet. The media has already declared this victory for Orioles hitters like Ryan Mountcastle and Adley Rutschman while saying it could also play a role in luring right-handed free-agent bats to Camden Yards. It made me wonder: if Walltimore could be toppled, is the Green Monster next?

The answer is almost assuredly no, but what if it weren’t?

If you thought Jarren Duran deserved more MVP votes, how does an extra seven home runs sound? That’s how many balls Duran hit off the Green Monster last season. The fact that he's a left-handed hitter just makes it more impressive. Duran isn’t necessarily at the top of anyone's list regarding opposite-field power, but an additional seven homers would definitely change that perception.

However, no one would benefit from the Green Monster losing some height more than Connor Wong. Wong would have had eight more home runs in 2024, and he would have had five more in 2023. Unlike Duran, whose additional home runs would have been of the wall-scraping variety, Wong peppered the wall with line drives. Even if the Monster were lowered and moved back, he would still have plenty of additional home runs.

Ceddanne Rafaela had a complicated rookie campaign, but if you add to his ledger the six home runs he would have had were the Green Monster shorter, his 21 homers on the season might have gotten him at least one AL Rookie of the Year vote. Rafael Devers is tied with Rafaela for the third-most wall balls. Unlike Duran, Devers is known for his all-field power, so having six additional opposite-field home runs wouldn't be at all surprising. But the extra homers would have given Raffy 34 homers, making it the fourth time he eclipsed 30 big flies in his career.

So, while the Red Sox aren’t thinking of shrinking the Green Monster (nor should they be), there are at least a few Red Sox players who can dare to dream.