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Today’s trend to come up with unique, compelling stadium architectures has resulted in parks that can dramatically impact hitting and pitching statistics. Let’s look at National League park factors and examine some players whose performance is most likely to be significantly impacted in light of them. Next week, we’ll do the same in the AL. We’re going to cite last year’s statistics for players because the sample size of 2007 data remains insignificantly small.

Also, the noted effects reflect what the home team and all opponents did at that park compared to how the same team and all opponents did at the various opponent parks.

Let’s start in Colorado. Last year, with the help of renowned physicist Lawrence Krauss of Case Western University, we debunked the alledged “humidor effect” on baseballs and scoring at Coors Field. As predicted, Coors played like an extreme hitters park for the remainder of the season, ending up increasing average by 11 percent, runs by 15 percent (the most in baseball) and homers by 14 percent (more than in ’05 and ’06).

Tied with Coors as the most favorable run-scoring environment in the NL is the Reds Great American Ballpark. Homers there were boosted by 29 percent and almost equally for lefty and righty hitters.

Right behind them is Chase Field, where the Diamondbacks play. Scoring there was up 14 percent mostly because of how it boosted homers a ridiculous 33 percent, the most extreme homer park in all of baseball. Lefty power hitters in Arizona got a silly 54 percent boost in homers there, on average. This means your 20-homer lefty hitter in a neutral park smacks 25 in Arizona. Remember, we only apply our effects to half of the total games for the players who call that park home.

Wrigley Field and Citizens Bank Park both increased runs about seven percent for the Cubs and Phillies, respectively. Last year, homers were up 22 percent overall in Wrigley and 20 percent at Citizens. But Citizens had a much more dramatic impact on lefty power hitters (plus 42 percent). Over the past three years, however, Citizens has benefited lefty power hitters much less.

Houston’s Minute Maid Park is the only other stadium that benefits all power hitters. Other parks have split personalities. For example, Dodger Stadium is neutral for lefties, but boosted righty power 31 percent in 2006. Busch Stadium benefited lefty power by eight percent, but decreased righty power 16 percent.

On the down side, Shea Stadium (Mets) and Dolphins Stadium (Marlins) decreased scoring 10 percent, while PETCO Park (Padres) was the league’s most extreme pitchers park, decreasing scoring 14 percent.

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Greg Maddux, P, Padres: He’s no dummy, noting his resurgence last year when placed in the relatively friendly confines of Dodger Stadium after the trade from Wrigley. Now, he’s in the most extreme pitching park in baseball. Expect an ERA in the mid threes.

Ian Snell, P, Pirates: His 11-K 2007 debut was not a fluke. And PNC is at worst a neutral run-scoring environment and was actually a pitcher’s park in ’05 and ’06. Also note that lefty homers were down 35 percent there last year, righties down 13 percent.

Randy Wolf, P, Dodgers: He’s another year removed from Tommy John surgery and is in a good, not great pitcher’s park that should slightly boost his Ks and is a big step down in run-scoring from Citizens.

Hold

Jason Jennings, P, Astros: Jennings moves from a dramatically friendly to neutral run-scoring environment, but pitched better at home last year. Trust that he’s trending upward, but more for developmental reasons than for park factors.

Alfonso Soriano, OF, Cubs: Hit hit slightly more homers in RFK Stadium last year. But most players do better at home. At Wrigley, which boosted righty power 22 pecent last year, 40 homers is the floor, 50 the ceiling (but less likely than many think).

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Carlos Beltran, OF, Mets: A team of Carlos Beltrans on the road was about the best hitter in baseball last year (10.9 runs per nine innings). At home, not so good (.224 average). Shea significantly suppresses lefty and righty power (Beltran switch hits). Figure on 30-something homers in ’07, not the 40-something of ’06.

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