The Coors Field Factor - Matt Holliday

When we talk about the factors of a ball park, none other has a bigger effect than Coors Field. Year in and year out Coors field has been one of the leading stadiums to have the most runs scored, singles, doubles, triples, and homeruns. You would wonder why that is? Well the answer? Its simple!

Thin air!

With Coors field placed in the rocky mountains and with its climate the air in Coors Field or Colorado for that matter is a lot more thinner than other States. So with this thin air it allows the ball to travel much faster at higher velocities enabling the ball to carry into the stands, so typically it is known as a hitter's park. Many players have career years in Colorado, just ask our main man Matt Holliday!

Matt Holliday has been mashing the baseball year in and year out, and it would be expected that he would do the same this year again. With a three average of:
115 runs, 31 homeruns, 113 rbi, 16 sbs, .329 avg.

Now you wonder these are great numbers! I will aim to take him this year in my fantasy baseball draft with my top 10 pick! BUT hold on a second. Before we make a bold move like this one, lets take a closer look at his splits.

Matt Holliday has played his whole 5 year career in Coor's Field and in his 5 year tenure with the Rockies Matt Holliday's magnified home and away splits are:

Home:
359 games, 285 runs, 483 hits, 84 homeruns, 307 rbi, 129 walks, 28 sbs, .357 avg

Away:
339 games, 194 runs, 365 hits, 44 homeruns, 176 rbi, 122 walks, 38 sbs, .280 avg

Now look at the significant difference in his splits
At home Holliday has about 100 less runs, has hit about 40 more homeruns, about 130 less rbi, and a significantly lower batting average. Of course his steals have nothing to do with park factors so we do not need to consider that. Not only that but we must also factor in the park factor of Oakland. Oakland is a major pitchers park and year in and year out they continue to have pitchers who pitch much better due to the extended range of the homerun wall.

With these factors in place, Matt Holliday is due for a decline. Of course he will still put up very good stats but nothing close to a top 10 value that Holliday normally provides. Let someone else draft him high up and you will be giving yourself a pat on the back for not buying into the hype of Matt Holliday.

Projection: 87 runs, 26 homeruns, 96 rbi, 25 sbs, .284 avg