How Weather Affects the Flight of the Baseball

There's no question that offense is down for the 2022 MLB season. This could be the case for various reasons, like a shortened Spring Training or doctored baseballs. However, the most obvious reason may be the winter-like conditions affecting many ballparks. Understanding how weather affects the flight of the baseball can help shine some light on the topic.
Some Like It Hot
Starting the schedule in early April means teams will play their games in weather meant for football. Night games on the east coast will have temperatures hovering around the 40-degree mark, which may explain the downward trend of home runs in 2022.
Many studies show that if you take a sample of games in a season and look at the temperature of each game, you will notice an upward trend in runs scored as the mercury rises. In one study, the University of Nevada-Reno looked at over twenty-two thousand games from 2000 to 2011 and concluded that there were an average of 2.35 home runs in warmer games as opposed to 1.79 in a chilly atmosphere.
Humidity Is a Hitter's Best Friend
Humidity is another element that affects the density of the air. Humidity is the percentage of water vapor in the air. The science behind it shows that adding moisture to the air replaces the heavier oxygen or nitrogen molecules. Hitters love hot and humid days because the air is going to be lighter.
While hitters aren't scientists or meteorologists, they can assume that a very humid evening can lend a helping hand. As we get further along in the schedule, the humid days are bound to come, which means home runs will fly off the bat, and scoring should be on the rise.
Lighter Air Helps the Ball Travel Farther
Another significant factor that impacts how far a ball flies is the air pressure. Teams can’t do too much because air pressure is tied to the climate of a given location. The higher the elevation, the thinner the air, so Coors Field will forever be a hitter's paradise. So, let’s look at what the Rockies do to combat this potential advantage for their opponents.
The Rockies use a humidor to affect the baseball's flight, significantly cutting down on how far it travels. During the 2021 Home Run Derby, players got an extra 20-30 feet on their home runs because those balls were not in a humidor. Many believe the 2022 baseballs are getting the humidor treatment across every ballpark because of the sudden lack of power. Could that be the case? Possibly, but the weather isn't helping matters either.
Blowing Hot Air
Any fan of the Chicago Cubs knows how the wind can impact a game. Windy conditions may be the difference between a ball going over the fence or falling short and into an outfielder's glove. Thus, is the direction of the wind behind the lack of scoring around the league? This season, there seems to be an outlier of windy games, causing fielders to look foolish at times. Therefore, if it makes professionals look like amateurs, you know it will have a major impact on the ball.
Before we put on our conspiracy hats and blame Rob Manfred for the baseballs, it helps to know how weather affects the baseball flight to put everything in perspective. Hopefully, as the calendar turns to June and July, the runs and long ball follow suit.