The weather is beginning to warm, even in New England, and baseball season is in full swing. That makes it a perfect time to head to the ballpark and enjoy a hot dog, cold beverage, and popcorn. For those looking for a bit more of an adventurous afternoon or evening, hunting for home run balls is also an exciting option.
There may be no better place to catch a game than Fenway Park, so we decided to create a heat map that clearly illustrates the best place to bring your glove and hope a ball flies into your path.
The map is broken down with some of the iconic seating features of Fenway, most notably the Green Monster and the seats down the right field line wrapped around the Pesky Pole.
Right Field Box Seats
We'll begin with the Right Field Box, which has a total of 19 sections and wraps around the Pesky Pole. Of those 19 sections, six are in foul territory, leaving only 13 that are in fair territory where home runs can be hit. This is the only section that includes foul territory, so it makes sense that it is the least likely part of the park to catch a home run ball overall. In addition, this is where left-handed hitters would be most likely to hit home runs, meaning there is less opportunity for home runs to be hit to right field generally.
Relative to some of the other sections we'll cover in this article, the seats are also expensive. Using the official Red Sox site, the cheapest seats in the section available for the team's game against the Mets on Tuesday, May 20 go for $49.25. Overall, the right field box seats are not the best place and certainly not the best value for those focused on taking home a souvenir home run ball.
Right Field and Right Center Field
The rest of the right field seats can be grouped together, because they are either grandstand or bleacher seats. We'll begin with the right field grandstand, which is similarly down the right field line. The primary difference between the box and grandstand is that all of the right field grandstand is in fair territory, meaning any ball that lands in that section will be a home run. These tickets check in just above $30, typically between $32.75 and $35. Thus, the value is a bit better even if the overall odds for a home run ball remain low.
Sitting in the right field bleachers is the best bang for buck for this portion of the field. These sections are just above the bullpen and typically cost between $37.75 and $42.25. The seats in the right field bleachers include the power alley for left-handed hitters, and there could be occasional opposite-field home runs from righties that land for fans in these sections as well.
Center Field
While it doesn't rival the Pesky Pole or Green Monster, the center field triangle is still a very recognizable section of Fenway Park. As is conventionally the case, this is the deepest part of the park, with these sections ranging from a minimum of 390 to 420 feet from home plate. Despite the deep dimensions, this is a prime spot for hitters from both sides of the park to go yard.
As a result, this is the second-most likely place for a home run to land. These tickets range from $32.75 to $37.75, making these sections the best value seats to haul in a long ball in all of Fenway Park.
Green Monster
The Green Monster is arguably the most iconic ballpark feature in the entire league, and it's also the most common area for a home run ball because it's the perfect spot for right-handed batters to pull flyballs. The primary problem is that these seats aren't very attainable. First, there are limited seats, which are also very popular due to the cultural significance of the Green Monster. That demand also makes the seats particularly expensive in addition to being difficult to obtain. For example, there are no seats available in this section for the May 20 game already cited, and standing room only tickets for the Green Monster check in at a whopping $108.25. For those willing to be patient to wait for seating in the section, a single seat checks in at $362.75.
While this may be the most common place for homers to be hit, it isn't particularly accessible. For example, an individual could attend at least seven games in the right field bleachers for every one in the Green Monster.
Methodology
Our Rotowire data analyst created the heat map that includes percentage overlays for each general outfield section at Fenway Park — such as the Green Monster, Center Field Bleachers, Right Field Bleachers, Bullpen, and Right Field Grandstand — based on home run landing data from 2020–2024.
