Majority of MLB teams slow to add safety netting
Several Major League Baseball teams are stepping up to the plate to protect fans from being hit by balls or bats. However, a majority still have yet to make any changes to the amount of safety netting around their fields.
Major League Baseball does not keep a record of spectator injuries, but a 2014 Bloomberg News investigation estimated that there were about 1,750 foul ball injuries each season.
During the 2015 offseason, the league urged teams to expand safety netting to 70 feet from home plate along each foul line. The league did not make this mandatory.
Ten teams (Atlanta, Houston, Kansas City, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Minnesota, St. Louis, Washington, Texas, and New York Mets) met or exceeded the league's suggestion of 70 feet of netting.
Shortly after a young girl was hit by a foul ball at Yankee Stadium on Sept. 20th, four more teams said they would increase their netting.
These teams were Cincinnati, Seattle, Colorado, and San Diego.
There are still 16 MLB teams that have not announced plans to increase safety netting around their fields.
