How far does a ball carry at Nationals Park?
Nationals Park is the Washington Nationals home park in Washington: an open-air park at 35 ft, 402′ to center. Below is what moves fly balls here — elevation, temperature, humidity and wind — plus the current wind for the next game. Carry distances are model estimates and part of the Groundskeeper plan.
Next game conditions
No game at Nationals Park on the current slate. Today's wind for every park that is playing is on the wind carry today page.
Carry estimate
The carry range is The Cold Line's model estimate of how much today's wind and temperature add to or take away from a fly ball to center. Already a Groundskeeper member? Open the live weather board.
Nationals Park park facts
- Elevation
- 35 ft above sea level (20th highest of 30 MLB parks)
- Roof
- Open-air
- Center-field bearing
- 28° — home plate faces north-northeast
- Fences (LF · LCF · CF · RCF · RF)
- 336′ · 377′ · 402′ · 370′ · 335′
- Wall heights (LF · CF · RF)
- 8′ · 12′ · 12′
- Surface
- Natural grass
Park notes: Capitol dome visible beyond LF; Anacostia River beyond outfield; Presidents Race.
What moves the ball at Nationals Park
Elevation
Nationals Park sits essentially at sea level (35 ft, 20th of 30 by elevation). Air density here is about as heavy as it gets in MLB, so elevation adds nothing — temperature and wind decide how the ball travels.
Temperature
Warm air is less dense than cold air, so a hot night at Nationals Park carries better than a cold one with the same wind. Early-season and late-season night games here play noticeably heavier than mid-summer afternoons.
Humidity
Humid air is slightly lighter than dry air, so higher humidity helps carry a little — the opposite of what most people expect. It is a minor factor next to temperature and wind.
Wind
Home plate faces north-northeast, so a wind out of the south-southwest blows straight out to center and helps carry, while a wind from the north-northeast blows in and knocks fly balls down. Cross-winds push the ball toward one line — at Nationals Park the shorter right-field corner (335′) is where a helping wind shows up first.
Nationals Park carry questions
How far does a ball carry at Nationals Park?
Nationals Park sits essentially at sea level (35 ft, 20th of 30 by elevation). Air density here is about as heavy as it gets in MLB, so elevation adds nothing — temperature and wind decide how the ball travels. The Cold Line's game-by-game carry estimate (a model estimate, in feet) is part of the Groundskeeper plan.
Does wind affect home runs at Nationals Park?
Home plate faces north-northeast, so a wind out of the south-southwest blows straight out to center and helps carry, while a wind from the north-northeast blows in and knocks fly balls down. Cross-winds push the ball toward one line — at Nationals Park the shorter right-field corner (335′) is where a helping wind shows up first.
Does Nationals Park have a roof?
No. Nationals Park is open-air, so wind, temperature and humidity are in play every game.
Where can I see today's wind at Nationals Park?
This page shows the current wind for the next game at Nationals Park. The Cold Line's live MLB weather board tracks wind, roof status and conditions for every park on the slate, and Groundskeeper members see the full carry card there.
More: Washington Nationals weather · All MLB ballpark weather · MLB wind carry today