Where to Sit if You Want to Catch a Home Run at a Twins Game
Unless you're Zack Hample (and trust us, you don't want to be him), catching a ball at a baseball game is unlikely. But we can help increase your chances.
Baseball in recent years has become a very stat heavy sport especially with the introduction of 'statcast' in the 2015 season.
The ticket reseller website Seat Geek, along with ESPN are now out with more numbers releasing a list of the best places to sit in every stadium if you want to catch a home run.
It's not hard to determine how this was figured out. They looked at where all the home runs landed during the 2016 season and looked at where most of the home runs went.
For Target Field in Minneapolis, there were a total of 133 'catchable' home runs hit during the 2016 season. Obviously home run balls that land in areas where fans do not sit, are not 'catchable' home runs. Most of those catchable home runs at Target Field landed in section 130 which is out in left field near the bullpen.
The average price of a ticket in that section is $24 per ticket. According to the report, section 130 at Target Field is actually the 'most affordable home run-ridden section' in all of Major League Baseball.
The report also notes a Wall Street Journal study that claims even if a ball comes in your direction, you still may not end up with a souvenir. That's because 30 percent of catchable balls are dropped.
Planning a trip to a different MLB ballpark this summer? Check out the best section for catching home run balls at every stadium.
And interestingly enough, your chances of catching a home run ball in any section at any MLB stadium is infinitely higher than catching a home run ball at a Bismarck Larks game. The 1,600 seat Municipal Ball Park in Bismarck has no seats in the outfield.