Major League Baseball

Stanton 1st to take advantage of cozier Marlins Park

Published Apr. 19, 2016 7:02 p.m. ET

foxsports

MIAMI (AP) The first player to take advantage of the cozier dimensions at Marlins Park is the home team's slugger, Giancarlo Stanton.

The outfield fences were lowered and moved closer to home plate during the offseason. On Monday, Stanton hit a drive that cleared the center field fence near the 407-foot sign.

Last year, with the fence 418 feet away, the drive would have been off the wall.

Stanton, the Marlins' $325 million slugger, said it's too early to know how much the changes will help hitters, but he began the week in the market for some help. He struck out 15 times in his first 37 at-bats, and his average dropped as low as .205.