Quantcast
ZME Science
  • News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Future
  • Space
  • Features
    Menu
    Natural Sciences
    Health
    History & Humanities
    Space & Astronomy
    Technology
    Culture
    Resources
    Natural Sciences

    Physics

    • Matter and Energy
    • Quantum Mechanics
    • Thermodynamics

    Chemistry

    • Periodic Table
    • Applied Chemistry
    • Materials
    • Physical Chemistry

    Biology

    • Anatomy
    • Biochemistry
    • Ecology
    • Genetics
    • Microbiology
    • Plants and Fungi

    Geology and Paleontology

    • Planet Earth
    • Earth Dynamics
    • Rocks and Minerals
    • Volcanoes
    • Dinosaurs
    • Fossils

    Animals

    • Mammals
    • Birds
    • Fish
    • Reptiles
    • Amphibians
    • Invertebrates
    • Pets
    • Conservation
    • Animals Facts

    Climate and Weather

    • Climate Change
    • Weather and Atmosphere

    Geography

    Mathematics

    Health
    • Drugs
    • Diseases and Conditions
    • Human Body
    • Mind and Brain
    • Food and Nutrition
    • Wellness
    History & Humanities
    • Anthropology
    • Archaeology
    • Economics
    • History
    • People
    • Sociology
    Space & Astronomy
    • The Solar System
    • The Sun
    • The Moon
    • Planets
    • Asteroids, Meteors and Comets
    • Astronomy
    • Astrophysics
    • Cosmology
    • Exoplanets and Alien Life
    • Spaceflight and Exploration
    Technology
    • Computer Science & IT
    • Engineering
    • Inventions
    • Sustainability
    • Renewable Energy
    • Green Living
    Culture
    • Culture and Society
    • Bizarre Stories
    • Lifestyle
    • Art and Music
    • Gaming
    • Books
    • Movies and Shows
    Resources
    • How To
    • Science Careers
    • Metascience
    • Fringe Science
    • Science Experiments
    • School and Study
    • Natural Sciences
    • Health
    • History and Humanities
    • Space & Astronomy
    • Culture
    • Technology
    • Resources
  • Reviews
  • More
    • Agriculture
    • Anthropology
    • Biology
    • Chemistry
    • Electronics
    • Geology
    • History
    • Mathematics
    • Nanotechnology
    • Economics
    • Paleontology
    • Physics
    • Psychology
    • Robotics
  • About Us
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science

No Result
View All Result
ZME Science

Home → Environment

Home run counts are rising, and climate change might be behind it

The higher the temperature, the more chances to hit a home run, a study found.

Fermin Koop by Fermin Koop
April 11, 2023
in Climate, Environment
Edited and reviewed by Zoe Gordon

Over the past decade, home run numbers in the Major League Baseball (MLB) in the US have climbed dramatically. Analysts have suggested many factors behind this surge, from improvements in game analytics to changes in baseball construction. However, a new study has found evidence for another reason – the rising global temperatures.

Image credits: Wikimedia Commons.

Researchers from Dartmouth College found that more than 500 home runs since 2010 can be attributed to the higher-than-average temperatures resulting from global warming. They analyzed thousands of MLB games and found a 1℃ increase in the daily high temperature on the day of a game increases the chances of home runs by 1.7%.

“We don’t think temperature is the dominant factor in the increase in home runs. That said, temperature matters and we’ve identified its effect,” Christopher Callahan, lead author of the new study, said in a statement. “While climate change has been a minor influence so far, this influence will substantially increase by the end of the century.”

It’s all about physics

Warm air is less dense than cooler air, the researchers explain. As the air heats up and molecules move faster, the air expands, leaving more space between molecules. As a result, a baseball should move farther on a warmer day than on a cooler one. This link has led to assumptions about the link between climate change and home runs.

In their study, the researchers found climate change led to an extra 58 home runs per year, and 577 home runs in total, between 2010 and 2019. This accounts for 1.1% of all home runs hit in that period. If greenhouse gas emissions continue unabated, that warming could account for 10% of all home runs by 2100, the researchers estimated.

Increase in average number of home runs per year for each major ballpark in the US with every one-degree Celsius increase in global average temperature. Image credits: Christopher Callahan.

“We asked whether there are more home runs on unseasonably warm days than on unseasonably cold days during the course of a season,” Callahan said. “We’re able to compare those days with the implicit assumption that the other factors affecting batter performance don’t vary day to day or are affected if a day is unseasonably warm or cold.”

The actual number of home runs due to temperature could be higher or lower depending on gameday conditions, the researchers said. For example, the Chicago Cubs’ open-air Wrigley Field would see the largest spike in home runs, while the Tampa Bay Rays’ domed Tropicana Field would remain at similar levels no matter how hot it is outside.

Night games could then reduce the influence of temperature on home runs, with covered stadiums capable of eliminating it, the paper suggests. While curbing the rise in home runs might seem counterproductive, there are other factors to consider as global temperatures rise, such as the exposure of the players and the fans to the hot weather.

Extreme heat is expected to become a bigger problem as global warming continues. Some baseball teams have already taken steps to mitigate the impacts of heat at their ballparks. The Texas Rangers, for example, opened a domed ballpark with a massive air conditioning system in 2020 to tackle the effects of the growing outdoor temperatures.

“This kind of study can be an entry point to understanding a phenomenon that is affecting the planet and every individual on it,” co-author Jeremy DaSilva said. “Baseball is one of these ways that American society holds a mirror up to itself and global climate change is just another example — baseball is not immune to it.”

The study was published in the journal American Meteorological Society.

Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Related posts:
  1. Rising seas, rising costs: some $14 trillion worldwide per year by 2100
  2. 2021 broke nearly all climate change indicator records (again), from CO2 emissions to rising sea levels
  3. Rising oceans and sinking bread: how climate change might ruin loaves
  4. NOAA photographs golden retrievers swimming back home from their mating run
  5. Unable to adapt to rising temperatures, many ants are facing a plight in climate change
Tags: climate change

ADVERTISEMENT
  • News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Future
  • Space
  • Features
  • Reviews
  • More
  • About Us

© 2007-2021 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Future
  • Space
  • Features
    • Natural Sciences
    • Health
    • History and Humanities
    • Space & Astronomy
    • Culture
    • Technology
    • Resources
  • Reviews
  • More
    • Agriculture
    • Anthropology
    • Biology
    • Chemistry
    • Electronics
    • Geology
    • History
    • Mathematics
    • Nanotechnology
    • Economics
    • Paleontology
    • Physics
    • Psychology
    • Robotics
  • About Us
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact

© 2007-2021 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.

Don’t you want to get smarter every day?

YES, sign me up!

Over 35,000 subscribers can’t be wrong. Don’t worry, we never spam. By signing up you agree to our privacy policy.

✕
ZME Science News

FREE
VIEW