How have Toronto Blue Jays hitters and pitchers fared at Coors Field in the past?
alt
Photo credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
Zach Laing
Sep 1, 2023, 16:40 EDT
The Toronto Blue Jays will be taking their talents to Denver, Colorado’s Coors Field for a three-game set this weekend.
And when it comes to the sport of baseball, elevation really plays a difference in what happens with the ball. With Coors Field nestled right in the heart of the Rocky Mountains, the elevation sits at 5,200 feet above sea level — far and away the stadium with the highest elevation nearly five times higher than that of the Arizona Diamondbacks’ Chase Field.
Coors Field has built a reputation around baseball for being the league’s most hitter-friendly park since it opened in 1995. That elevation causes the ball to travel through the air easier allowing longer hits. For power hitters, this is their dream. For pitchers, however, it’s their nightmare as that thin air causes breaking balls to break less, offering hitters meatballs at a much higher rate.
Here, for example, is a few statistics looking at the difference in numbers.
As noted above, hitters have a blast at Coors Field with numerous key offensive numbers rising — most significantly, their slugging percentage and OPS. Their weighted runs created plus, which takes runs created statistics and accounts for external factors — such as ballparks — skyrockets 20 percent.
Pitchers, meanwhile, see their ERAs plummet from 4.07 to 5.38, while allowing 18 percent more home runs. The batted ball numbers are interesting, too, showing that pitchers are making it a point to induce as many groundballs as possible and limit their flyballs. Can you blame them?
These numbers aside, it got me thinking — how have the Toronto Blue Jays players historically fared at Coors Field? Below is a list of the Jays’ players and their splits in Colorado, and outside of Colorado over the course of their MLB careers, in order from most career at-bats, to least.
Brandon Belt
AB
HR
HR/AB
Avg.
Slg.
OPS
ISO
wOBA
wRC+
At Coors Field
293
16
18.3
0.317
0.563
0.938
0.246
0.398
155
Not at Coors Field
4241
168
25.2
0.257
0.452
0.807
0.195
0.348
122
At vs away
-6.9
0.060
0.111
0.131
0.051
0.050
33
George Springer
AB
HR
HR/AB
Avg.
Slg.
OPS
ISO
wOBA
wRC+
At Coors Field
37
2
18.5
0.324
0.541
0.883
0.216
0.374
141
Not at Coors Field
4097
225
18.2
0.267
0.486
0.842
0.219
0.361
132
At vs away
0.3
0.057
0.055
0.041
-0.003
0.013
9
Whit Merrifield
AB
HR
HR/AB
Avg.
Slg.
OPS
ISO
wOBA
wRC+
at Coors Field
14
1
14.0
0.357
0.571
0.905
0.214
0.374
143
Not at Coors Field
3837
84
45.7
0.285
0.425
0.756
0.140
0.324
102
At vs way
-31.7
0.072
0.146
0.149
0.074
0.050
41
Matt Chapman
AB
HR
HR/AB
Avg.
Slg.
OPS
ISO
wOBA
wRC+
at Coors Field
21
1
21.0
0.333
0.571
0.956
0.238
0.389
154
Not at Coors Field
2836
145
19.6
0.243
0.467
0.796
0.224
0.340
119
At vs way
1.4
0.090
0.104
0.160
0.014
0.049
35
Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
AB
HR
HR/AB
Avg.
Slg.
OPS
ISO
wOBA
wRC+
at Coors Field
12
1
12.0
0.417
0.833
1.295
0.417
0.523
237
Not at Coors Field
2159
115
18.8
0.285
0.502
0.859
0.217
0.366
134
At vs way
-6.8
0.132
0.331
0.436
0.200
0.157
103
Bo Bichette
AB
HR
HR/AB
Avg.
Slg.
OPS
ISO
wOBA
wRC+
at Coors Field
#N/A
#N/A
#N/A
#N/A
#N/A
#N/A
#N/A
#N/A
#N/A
Not at Coors Field
1845
78
23.7
0.301
0.495
0.838
0.194
0.358
129
At vs way
#N/A
#N/A
#N/A
#N/A
#N/A
#N/A
#N/A
Cavan Biggio
AB
HR
HR/AB
Avg.
Slg.
OPS
ISO
wOBA
wRC+
at Coors Field
9
0
0
0.222
0.222
0.639
0.000
0.318
98
Not at Coors Field
1187
42
28.3
0.227
0.394
0.734
0.168
0.323
103
At vs way
0
-0.005
-0.172
-0.095
-0.168
-0.005
-5
Danny Jansen
AB
HR
HR/AB
Avg.
Slg.
OPS
ISO
wOBA
wRC+
at Coors Field
3
0
0
0.333
0.667
1.167
0.333
0.477
205
Not at Coors Field
1078
55
19.6
0.221
0.423
0.726
0.202
0.313
97
At vs way
0
0.112
0.244
0.441
0.131
0.164
108
Daulton Varsho
AB
HR
HR/AB
Avg.
Slg.
OPS
ISO
wOBA
wRC+
at Coors Field
46
4
11.5
0.283
0.652
1.005
0.370
0.418
168
Not at Coors Field
1091
47
23.2
0.238
0.431
0.737
0.192
0.318
101
At vs way
-11.7
0.045
0.221
0.268
0.178
0.100
67
Alejandro Kirk
AB
HR
HR/AB
Avg.
Slg.
OPS
ISO
wOBA
wRC+
at Coors Field
#N/A
#N/A
#N/A
#N/A
#N/A
#N/A
#N/A
#N/A
#N/A
Not at Coors Field
797
23
34.7
0.267
0.395
0.750
0.128
0.331
114
At vs way
#N/A
#N/A
#N/A
#N/A
#N/A
#N/A
#N/A
Santiago Espinal
AB
HR
HR/AB
Avg.
Slg.
OPS
ISO
wOBA
wRC+
at Coors Field
#N/A
#N/A
#N/A
#N/A
#N/A
#N/A
#N/A
#N/A
#N/A
Not at Coors Field
807
10
80.7
0.271
0.366
0.697
0.094
0.308
97
At vs way
#N/A
#N/A
#N/A
#N/A
#N/A
#N/A
#N/A
Ernie Clement
AB
HR
HR/AB
Avg.
Slg.
OPS
ISO
wOBA
wRC+
at Coors Field
3
0
0
0.000
0.000
0.400
0.000
0.275
80
Not at Coors Field
286
3
95.3
0.210
0.269
0.529
0.059
0.238
51
At vs way
0
-0.210
-0.269
-0.129
-0.059
0.037
29
Davis Schneider
AB
HR
HR/AB
Avg.
Slg.
OPS
ISO
wOBA
wRC+
at Coors Field
#N/A
#N/A
#N/A
#N/A
#N/A
#N/A
#N/A
#N/A
#N/A
Not at Coors Field
26
3
8.7
0.385
0.731
1.215
0.346
0.506
232
At vs way
#N/A
#N/A
#N/A
#N/A
#N/A
#N/A
#N/A
Spencer Horwitz
AB
HR
HR/AB
Avg.
Slg.
OPS
ISO
wOBA
wRC+
at Coors Field
#N/A
#N/A
#N/A
#N/A
#N/A
#N/A
#N/A
#N/A
#N/A
Not at Coors Field
8
0
0
0.250
0.250
0.650
0.000
0.316
100
At vs way
#N/A
#N/A
#N/A
#N/A
#N/A
#N/A
#N/A
There’s nobody on the Jays who sees more success at Coors Field than that of Vladimir Guerrero Jr.. His wRC+ climbs a staggering 103 points there with his OPS rising from .859 to 1.295. He is, quite simply, unstoppable there.
Another notable player with a big increase there is Daulton Varsho, whose 46 at-bats at Coors Field are the second most among Blue Jays next to Brandon Belt. Varsho sees his wRC+ climb 67 points with his OPS rising from .737 to 1.005. A big series from him would be great.
Speaking of Belt, who is considering retirement at the end of this season, he’s also seen a nice jump in his numbers over a significant sample size of 293 at-bats, far and away the most of any Jays player. That makes sense given his entire career before joining Toronto was spent in the NL East.
His wRC+ climbs 33 points at Coors Field, which is as significant as the other two players mentioned above given it’s over a much larger sample size.
This weekend the Jays will roll out Hyun-Jin Ryu Friday, Yusei Kikuchi on Saturday, and Kevin Gausman on Sunday with the first and last of the trio having prior experience at Coors.
Kevin Gausman
IP
ERA
HR/9
GB/FB
GB%
FB%
HR/FB%
At Coors Field
23.1
3.47
2.3
0.830
36.40%
43.60%
25.00%
Not at Coors field
1398.0
3.91
1.1
1.200
42.60%
35.40%
12.40%
At vs away
-0.44
1.2
-0.370
-0.062
0.082
0.126
Hyun-Jin Ryu
IP
ERA
HR/9
GB/FB
GB%
FB%
HR/FB%
At Coors Field
26.2
7.09
2.7
1.060
39.20%
37.10%
22.20%
Not at Coors field
980.2
3.15
0.9
1.610
48.60%
30.30%
11.60%
At vs away
3.94
1.8
-0.550
-0.094
0.068
0.106
While the sample size is small, it’s interesting to see Gausman’s ERA dip, but his batted ball numbers move in directions opposite from what you would want at Coors. Ryu, meanwhile, has been shelled there in his limited sample.
Buckle up, folks, and don’t shy away from taking the over.

Zach Laing is the Nation Network’s news director and senior columnist. He can be followed on Twitter at @zjlaing, or reached by email at zach@oilersnation.com.

ARTICLE PRESENTED BY BETANO