Should the Cardinals alter Busch Stadium to boost offense ?

[Adam2]

With their pitching staff still being 27th in MLB in K/9, you might argue that a home park that suppresses HRs does more to help the Cardinals pitching than it does to hurt the offense right now.

Yes, in the present, but moving forward is that going to be the case with the power pitchers the Cards look to be targeting now in the draft?
Regardless, Arenado, Golds, O'Neill and lesser power RH bats have been negatively effected by the home ballpark over the years, possibly forcing them to alter their approach which then negatively affected their offensive trajectories, for ex., becoming more pull happy.
Guess one could also say that with Walker and Baez, with their more extreme power potential gives the adv. back to the Cards, but should such considerations even be a factor in trying to have a more fair ballpark?

And yet Gokdy and Nado had their career years as a Cardinal, hitting wise. Also on the backend of their careers too

Nado came from Colorado. Known for boosting hitting.

And O'Neil ? Really?

their OPS at Arizona and Colorado respectively were significantly higher

[scoutyjones2]

With their pitching staff still being 27th in MLB in K/9, you might argue that a home park that suppresses He's does more to help the Cardinals pitching than it does to hurt the offense right now.

Yes, in the present, but moving forward is that going to be the case with the power pitchers the Cards look to be targeting now in the draft?
Regardless, Arenado, Golds, O'Neill and lesser power RH bats have been negatively effected by the home ballpark over the years, possibly forcing them to alter their approach which then negatively affected their offensive trajectories, for ex., becoming more pull happy.
Guess one could also say that with Walker and Baez, with their more extreme power potential gives the adv. back to the Cards, but should such considerations even be a factor in trying to have a more fair ballpark?

And yet Gokdy and Nado had their career years as a Cardinal, hitting wise. Also on the backend of their careers too

Nado came from Colorado. Known for boosting hitting.

And O'Neil ? Really?

their OPS at Arizona and Colorado respectively were significantly higher

Duh...hitters park. Elevation. Younger and in prime, but had best career year as a Card.

[Francis Park Thug]

Read the same article the other day.

Yes, I'd lower the wall & bring in the fences.

Bernie has been on this for some time, checkout these stats from his last week column:

But since May 1, when the Cards offense began showing signs of strain, here’s a snapshot look at their Busch bashing compared to their big-hit road shows.

Cardinals runs per game on the road: 5.43, ranking 3rd in the majors.

Cardinals runs per game at home: 3.67, which ranks 30th in the majors.

Isolated Power: .150 on road and .118 at Busch Stadium.

Slugging percentage: .450 on road, and .350 at Busch.

AB/HR: one home run every 28.8 at-bats for the Cardinals on the road, and a homer every 42 at-bats at Busch.

He goes really in depth w/stats in this column:

https://www.stlsportscentral.com/2026/0 ... ew-7-24-26

I agree with all of the above.
I would rather see a 6-5 game than a 3-2 game.
There are too many boring games at Busch.

[rockondlouie]

Read the same article the other day.

Yes, I'd lower the wall & bring in the fences.

Bernie has been on this for some time, checkout these stats from his last week column:

But since May 1, when the Cards offense began showing signs of strain, here’s a snapshot look at their Busch bashing compared to their big-hit road shows.

Cardinals runs per game on the road: 5.43, ranking 3rd in the majors.

Cardinals runs per game at home: 3.67, which ranks 30th in the majors.

Isolated Power: .150 on road and .118 at Busch Stadium.

Slugging percentage: .450 on road, and .350 at Busch.

AB/HR: one home run every 28.8 at-bats for the Cardinals on the road, and a homer every 42 at-bats at Busch.

He goes really in depth w/stats in this column:

https://www.stlsportscentral.com/2026/0 ... ew-7-24-26

I agree with all of the above.
I would rather see a 6-5 game than a 3-2 game.
There are too many boring games at Busch.

And players know these stats too

Sure pitchers may want to come here

BUT

Coupled w/the franchise not being a destination team any more like it was when both Goldy & NADO were acquired and excited to be here, would the stadium factor keep FA hitters away?

Stats matter to players, they = $$$$$

[JDW]

With their pitching staff still being 27th in MLB in K/9, you might argue that a home park that suppresses He's does more to help the Cardinals pitching than it does to hurt the offense right now.

Yes, in the present, but moving forward is that going to be the case with the power pitchers the Cards look to be targeting now in the draft?
Regardless, Arenado, Golds, O'Neill and lesser power RH bats have been negatively effected by the home ballpark over the years, possibly forcing them to alter their approach which then negatively affected their offensive trajectories, for ex., becoming more pull happy.
Guess one could also say that with Walker and Baez, with their more extreme power potential gives the adv. back to the Cards, but should such considerations even be a factor in trying to have a more fair ballpark?

And yet Gokdy and Nado had their career years as a Cardinal, hitting wise. Also on the backend of their careers too

Nado came from Colorado. Known for boosting hitting.

And O'Neil ? Really?

their OPS at Arizona and Colorado respectively were significantly higher

Duh...hitters park. Elevation. Younger and in prime, but had best career year as a Card.

That's opinion. Golds best OPS year was in Arizona. Arenado's best was in Colorado.

[scoutyjones2]

With their pitching staff still being 27th in MLB in K/9, you might argue that a home park that suppresses He's does more to help the Cardinals pitching than it does to hurt the offense right now.

Yes, in the present, but moving forward is that going to be the case with the power pitchers the Cards look to be targeting now in the draft?
Regardless, Arenado, Golds, O'Neill and lesser power RH bats have been negatively effected by the home ballpark over the years, possibly forcing them to alter their approach which then negatively affected their offensive trajectories, for ex., becoming more pull happy.
Guess one could also say that with Walker and Baez, with their more extreme power potential gives the adv. back to the Cards, but should such considerations even be a factor in trying to have a more fair ballpark?

And yet Gokdy and Nado had their career years as a Cardinal, hitting wise. Also on the backend of their careers too

Nado came from Colorado. Known for boosting hitting.

And O'Neil ? Really?

their OPS at Arizona and Colorado respectively were significantly higher

Duh...hitters park. Elevation. Younger and in prime, but had best career year as a Card.

That's opinion. Golds best OPS year was in Arizona. Arenado's best was in Colorado.

Where did Goldy win his only MVP? Where did Nado have his best OPS+ and highest WAR?

[JDW]

Golds best bWAR year was 2015 with Arizona at +8.3
Arenado's best bWAR year was 2017 with Colorado at +7.1

[JDW]

With their pitching staff still being 27th in MLB in K/9, you might argue that a home park that suppresses He's does more to help the Cardinals pitching than it does to hurt the offense right now.

Yes, in the present, but moving forward is that going to be the case with the power pitchers the Cards look to be targeting now in the draft?
Regardless, Arenado, Golds, O'Neill and lesser power RH bats have been negatively effected by the home ballpark over the years, possibly forcing them to alter their approach which then negatively affected their offensive trajectories, for ex., becoming more pull happy.
Guess one could also say that with Walker and Baez, with their more extreme power potential gives the adv. back to the Cards, but should such considerations even be a factor in trying to have a more fair ballpark?

And yet Gokdy and Nado had their career years as a Cardinal, hitting wise. Also on the backend of their careers too

Nado came from Colorado. Known for boosting hitting.

And O'Neil ? Really?

their OPS at Arizona and Colorado respectively were significantly higher

Duh...hitters park. Elevation. Younger and in prime, but had best career year as a Card.

That's opinion. Golds best OPS year was in Arizona. Arenado's best was in Colorado.

Where did Goldy win his only MVP? Where did Nado have his best OPS+ and highest WAR?

Winning the MVP in a particular may not be your best overall year, just that the competition didn't be as tough that year.

[scoutyjones2]

Golds best bWAR year was 2015 with Arizona at +8.3
Arenado's best bWAR year was 2017 with Colorado at +7.1

BR has nados best WAR in 2022, along with his OPS+. Goldy won his only MVP with the Cards.

How horrible for both of those vets

[scoutyjones2]

With their pitching staff still being 27th in MLB in K/9, you might argue that a home park that suppresses He's does more to help the Cardinals pitching than it does to hurt the offense right now.

Yes, in the present, but moving forward is that going to be the case with the power pitchers the Cards look to be targeting now in the draft?
Regardless, Arenado, Golds, O'Neill and lesser power RH bats have been negatively effected by the home ballpark over the years, possibly forcing them to alter their approach which then negatively affected their offensive trajectories, for ex., becoming more pull happy.
Guess one could also say that with Walker and Baez, with their more extreme power potential gives the adv. back to the Cards, but should such considerations even be a factor in trying to have a more fair ballpark?

And yet Gokdy and Nado had their career years as a Cardinal, hitting wise. Also on the backend of their careers too

Nado came from Colorado. Known for boosting hitting.

And O'Neil ? Really?

their OPS at Arizona and Colorado respectively were significantly higher

Duh...hitters park. Elevation. Younger and in prime, but had best career year as a Card.

That's opinion. Golds best OPS year was in Arizona. Arenado's best was in Colorado.

Where did Goldy win his only MVP? Where did Nado have his best OPS+ and highest WAR?

Winning the MVP in a particular may not be your best overall year, just that the competition didn't be as tough that year.

Yeah, I see those asterisk's on all MVP winners stat sheets

[JDW]

Golds best bWAR year was 2015 with Arizona at +8.3
Arenado's best bWAR year was 2017 with Colorado at +7.1

BR has nados best WAR in 2022, along with his OPS+. Goldy won his only MVP with the Cards.

How horrible for both of those vets

Golds best OPS was 1.005 with Arizona.
Nado's was .962 with Colorado, also had a .959 year with the Rocks.
Nado's best OPS with the Cards was .891.

Oops, Golds had a 1.035 OPS with the Cards in his 2022 MVP year for the Cards.

[scoutyjones2]

Golds best bWAR year was 2015 with Arizona at +8.3
Arenado's best bWAR year was 2017 with Colorado at +7.1

BR has nados best WAR in 2022, along with his OPS+. Goldy won his only MVP with the Cards.

How horrible for both of those vets

Golds best OPS was 1.005 with Arizona.
Nado's was .962 with Colorado, also had a .959 year with the Rocks.
Nado's best OPS with the Cards was .891.

Oops, Golds had a 1.035 OPS with the Cards in his 2022 MVP year for the Cards.

I can only provide you with facts, I can't make you understand.

[bccardsfan]

Baseball is not all about the long ball. The triple is a thing of beauty. OFers running down balls and making leaping catches in gaps. Parks like Cincy are a joke. I would vote for leaving the fences right where they are. My 2 cents.

[hotrivets]

I like out of the box thinking so I would consider it. Low dollars to move the fences- DeWitts would be all over that. Cheaper than bringing in better hitters. Less outfield for our questionable current staffing to cover. Cardinal pitching problems are not just with homers so that one could go either way.

[JDW]

Golds best bWAR year was 2015 with Arizona at +8.3
Arenado's best bWAR year was 2017 with Colorado at +7.1

BR has nados best WAR in 2022, along with his OPS+. Goldy won his only MVP with the Cards.

How horrible for both of those vets

Golds best OPS was 1.005 with Arizona.
Nado's was .962 with Colorado, also had a .959 year with the Rocks.
Nado's best OPS with the Cards was .891.

Oops, Golds had a 1.035 OPS with the Cards in his 2022 MVP year for the Cards.

I can only provide you with facts, I can't make you understand.

Fact, for the sample size of their careers while elsewhere compared to their stats while at St. Louis, both Golds and Nado had significantly lower OPS's while with the Cardinals as shown earlier. WAR considers defense, base running, etc. in addition to offense, so it isn't the best metric to use in how Busch Stadium factors with offense, which was the likely intent with this OP.
Both those players had plus power. It's possible the negative suppression for most RHH is even more at Busch. Regardless, I think an adjustment to make the home ballpark more fair comped to other MLB ballparks is a strong consideration.

[Cardinals1964]

Yes