By Adam Roberts – 2/9/2021
Those of you wondering over the last few years why it might have seemed that so many baseballs were flying over ballpark fences must feel some vindication this morning.
Essentially admitting that baseballs have been juiced to drive up dinger totals, Major League Baseball is making changes to its baseballs in an effort to reduce the soaring home run totals. The Athletic obtained a memo sent to front offices last week outlining the changes which are intended to “deaden” the ball. The report also says five more teams will begin using a humidor to store balls at their home parks.
Some major league pitchers, most notably Justin Verlander and David Price, have blamed juiced baseballs for the uptick in home runs recently. Verlander has perhaps been the most vocal on the issue.