Is baseball becoming a Road Warriors sport?

Home is where the heart is—but not always where the wins are

The other day, I read in Sports Illustrated (smoke ‘em if ya got ‘em) that road teams in Major League Baseball are having an easier go of it than almost ever before. In 2023, home team winning percentage was down to .521—the lowest number since 1971.

Whereas NFL stadium noise is a tangible factor in team performance, no such direct fan outcome is seen on the diamond. With stadium dimensions becoming more standardized, playing surfaces impeccably manicured, and visiting quarters more posh than podunk, it stands to reason that the guys batting first aren’t at such a disadvantage any longer.

With that in mind, I was curious about the best (and worst) home/road winning percentages in Minnesota Twins history…

Best Home Winning Percentage

(Note: Technically, the pandemic-shortened 2020 season produced a franchise-best .774 home WP. Perhaps unused seats should feature cardboard cutouts again?)

1969: .704 (57-24)
1987: .691 (56-25)
2002 & 2006: .667 (54-27)

October 5, 2002 - Minneapolis, MN - Twins vs Oakland in Playoffs - Twins fans wave homer hankies as the players take to the field for their playoff game against the Okalnd A’s at the Metrodome. The Twins won, 11-2. — Dome Sweet Dome, indeed

Worst Home Winning Percentage

2016: .370 (30-51)
2012: .383 (31-50)
2013: .395 (32-49)

Oakland Athletics v Minnesota Twins — A lot of unoccupied pasture in the mid-10s

Best Road Winning Percentage

2019: .679 (55-26)
1965: .630 (51-30)—remarkably, this World Series squad also went exactly 51-30 at home
1962: .568 (46-35)

Minnesota Twins v Chicago White Sox — “Pound the opponent into submission with home runs” seems like the win-on-the-road strategy

Worst Road Winning Percentage

1982: .284 (23-58)
1986: .346 (28-53)
1981: .347 (17-32)—a strike-shortened (perhaps mercifully so) season

Minnesota Twins v Baltimore Orioles — The ‘82 Twins were like the old Dr. Seuss rhyme: “We could not beat you here or there—we could not beat you anywhere”

All of this would seem to bode well for Baldelli’s Bunch, as Rocco holds the single-season high water mark for road success. In a league where last-ups means less than it has for 50+ years, this may be more “crucial facet” than “fun oddity” heading into 2024.