Phillies cautious of springy turf in London ahead of Mets series

On Sunday, Philadelphia Phillies starter Taijuan Walker is focused on keeping the ball on the ground during the high-scoring games at London Stadium for the series against the New York Mets. However, there is a new challenge presented by the bounciness of the artificial turf on the field.

Phillies outfielder Nick Castellanos noted that the turf in London is the bounciest he has ever played on, requiring players to adjust their approach to ground balls in the outfield. Phillies manager Rob Thomson also described the field surface as “a little bit spongier” than typical turf in the U.S.

In previous games at London Stadium, such as the one between the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox in 2019, there were a high number of home runs hit due to the unique playing surface. The fences were pushed back last year for the series between the St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs as well. The dimensions of the field remain the same for this series, with a 16-foot-high center field wall 392 feet from home plate and power alleys at 387 feet.

Walker plans to utilize a lot of splitters and aim for ground balls to keep the ball on the ground and mitigate the effect of the bounciness of the turf. Playing on artificial turf in London is a new experience for both the Phillies and the Mets, marking the first time in their rivalry that they will compete on this type of surface.