[Malleus Dei]

Originally Posted by gmo

Walks and strikeouts show the greatest differences (along with runs) among the stats

Exactly, and those are the only stats that show any significant difference. You can pretty well attribute the K's and W's to the home team's better familiarity/comfort with that particular batting box and with the associated batting background and sun/shadow effects of the field (been there/done that/have the jersey).

But - here's the important part - there just aren't any other significant statistical differences between home and away teams, and batting last can't account for the difference. You saw all that for yourself. And the increased W's/decreased K's rate simply can't account for the W-L% difference.

You are left with the effects of sleeping at home, travel fatigue, regular/irregular eating habits, different levels of carousing, the effects of the cheers of the home crowd...and, gee, how well the team is tailored to the ballpark (and vice versa).

Again, note the results in Montoya's league. They tailored their OOTP teams to their home fields and GOT HISTORICAL HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE RATES.