The San Diego Padres have announced plans for extended netting at Petco Park, which will exceed Major League Baseball guidelines. The netting will be in place for the 2018 season.
Protective netting at the ballpark will be extended to the end of Section 116 in left field and Section 115 in right field, proactively surpassing the guidelines issued by MLB. The netting will reach a maximum height of 24-feet before it tapers down along the foul lines. It will be attached to the top of both dugouts, as well as the tops of the walls along the warning track.
“The security and well-being of our fans is our number one priority at Petco Park,” said Padres Executive Chairman Ron Fowler and General Partner Peter Seidler. “We feel the new netting design drastically improves the safety of our patrons, while the state-of-the-art materials will have a minimal effect on the fan experience as it pertains to the view of the field and sightlines of our ballpark.”
During the project, all of the protective netting will be replaced with Promats Athletics 1.2 mm Field Green Ultra Cross Knotless Dyneema Netting, a lightweight, open mesh that is dyed green to meet MLB’s recommendation to reduce visible impact on those seated behind the netting.
Padres Members will be invited to view the new netting, along with their 2018 season ticket seat locations, during a high school baseball game between La Costa Canyon High School and Vista High School on Friday, March 23 at Petco Park.
It is expected that all 30 MLB teams will have new protective netting on Opening Day. Several teams have announced plans to extend netting to the ends of both dugouts, but the Padres’ plans surpass that standard. More of our coverage on extended netting around baseball can be found here.