Cubs' new lighting system at Wrigley Field wreaking havoc

The Chicago Cubs installed new LED lights at Wrigley Field for the start of the 2023 season, and they have quickly found a problem with them.

They are just too bright. 

It is a problem that's impacting both the fans and the players on the field. The complaint from the fan side of things is that the lights are so bright that it makes the stands feel increasingly darker by comparison. It is a minor issue and not one that has really been brought up much. The bigger issue is for the players, especially those in the corner outfield spots who keep losing fly balls in them.

The Cubs are already considering the idea of reducing the brightness, according to the Chicago Sun-Times:

The lights are so bright that when a fly ball rises above them, it disappears for the corner outfielders. 

In any park, there’s a risk of a high fly at its apex hiding in the darkness, but a few of Wrigley Field’s neighborhood-location quirks exacerbate the problem. The lights are relatively low and close, and none of them are pointing in from the outfield to provide back lighting.

The Cubs did an audit of the light system on Tuesday to test brightness levels and will not make any changes until they get those results. 

Wrigley Field was the last stadium in Major League Baseball to add lights, installing the first light fixtures on Aug. 8, 1988. 

Over the past decade the stadium has undergone extensive renovations, with this year's new LED light system the latest change.

Even with the lights the Cubs still play the majority of their home games during the day, so it is not a problem that is going to come up every game or every series. Still, there are enough night games that have caused enough issues for the Cubs to look into the issue.