‘Everything looks different’: Diamondbacks set to debut new lighting system at Chase Field
The Arizona Diamondbacks will show off Chase Field’s new LED lighting system in their opener on Thursday night, and based on the initial reviews from a test run in an exhibition game earlier this week, they likely will be well received.
“I thought they were pretty cool,” Diamondbacks center fielder Alek Thomas said after Monday night’s exhibition against the Cleveland Guardians. “They’re really bright.
“The turf looks different. Everything looks different, more white and it more brings out the color of everything. Before it was like yellow and dull. Now the field looks huge. It didn’t used to look like that.”
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The team had been playing under the same lights that had been in the ballpark since it opened in 1998. Diamondbacks President Derrick Hall said the club spent about $6.5 million this offseason upgrading both the lights and the sound system, with the lighting taking up the bulk — more than $4 million — of the cost.
Hall said the system, manufactured by Musco Sports Lighting, includes 482 energy-efficient LED lights, including 48 that have color-changing capabilities. The brightness can be adjusted easily and the lights can be flashed for something like a home run celebration.
With other teams having already made the transition to LED lights, Chase Field in recent years had a reputation of being one of the darker ballparks in the majors.
Diamondbacks hitting coach Joe Mather called the new lights “noticeably brighter” and speculated that it could serve to increase offense.
“That can only help us pick up the ball a little bit better,” he said. “When it’s dark, it’s definitely another challenge. You can’t see the seams or how the ball is being released.”
How significant an impact it could have remains to be seen, but it could be the first change to the ballpark in recent years that favors hitters. The installation of the humidor in 2018 cut down on homers. The change from natural grass to an artificial surface has — anecdotally, at least — slowed down balls hit on the infield.
“As far as what I'm trying to do up there at the plate, I have milliseconds to make a decision,” Diamondbacks first baseman Christian Walker said. “If you can take the glare off the ball or make the light a little bit cleaner, I think that changes everything.”
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: ‘Everything looks different’: New lights ready to go at Chase Field
