Climate change is expected to have (and in some cases already has had) a significant impact on the game of baseball. As weather patterns change over time, players will be forced to adapt to new conditions. There are three major impacts that climate change is expected to have on the game of baseball. The first of these is that higher temperatures tend to increase the speed and the distance that the ball travels off the bat. This, in turn results in more home runs and better conditions for hitters. Second, climate change will result in longer periods of heat and drought, which dries out the grass on the baseball field. Drier grass makes the movement of ground balls more erratic and more difficult to field, resulting in more errors and more runs. Finally, climate change could actually increase the pool of elite level baseball players hailing from different regions of the country. Since baseball is a warm weather sport, the best players typically come from warm areas where it can be played year-round. Moderating temperatures in more northern regions of the country could result in more top-level players hailing from these regions.
Gary Monitz
