MLB using juiced balls?

[Boom Boom]

http://www.tsn.ca/stroman-blames-mlb-for-rise-in-blisters-1.795884

Sounds like Jays pitcher Marcus Stroman thinks so after leaving the game vs the Yankees with a blister last night. Many pitchers suffering them that have never had them before. Home run counts are thru the roof this season. Lots of rumbling from hitters and pitchers that the game balls have changed. What are the implications for MLB if this is proven to be true?

 

[99goals]

There have been rumblings of this since early this year.
I don't have the stats in front of me but apparently the long ball stats have gone up a lot over last year at this time. However I am not an expert in this area, I can only comment on what i have heard.

 

[dahabsfan]

While the ball certainly seems to be jumping (and I have no doubt it's been toyed with to some extent) others factors to consider is the lack of quality pitching and the changing mentality of the strategy of baseball.

There's a ton of hard "throwers" but the art of pitching seems to be in a funk right now when compared to quantity of quality young hitters through all levels of pro ball.

There's also a complete shift in the thinking of managers and players. The game has evolved into a muscled mass that either crushes it or whiffs, small ball is nearly a forgotten art. Watching the rare occasion these days of almost anybody trying to lay down a bunt is painful.

Darren

 

[Hama]

Lots of players have changed their approach - from any hard hit ball is a good swing to elevating it to try to hit the gaps and out of the park. Part of that is because of the focus on launch angle and exit velocity.

As far as blisters go, unless the seams are significantly raised from the norm, I don't find much credence to it. Rawlings balls have some the flattest seams - the only one that is more slick is the Mizuno balls used internationally. And I doubt he would be using anything but the Rawlings. Wilson and Diamond balls have significantly raised seams and are quite noticeable. So unless he's throwing the curve or slider so hard that it's causing blisters, he's been throwing them more than normal, probably in side sessions and bullpens - working on those pitches. Blisters are caused by constant repetition - it's likely nothing more than that.

 

[canucksfreak19]

The fly ball revolution is a very real thing. More players have adopted a more dramatic upper cut swing to go down and get the balls that are low in the zone. You have seen some pitchers adjusting to that by throwing up in the zone more now.

As for the juiced ball. Ben Lindbergh has written a very good article. He actually got MLB balls tested, and the results seem to prove the theory to be true.

https://theringer.com/2017-mlb-home-run-spike-juiced-ball-testing-reveal-155cd21108bc

 

[junyab]

I find it odd that if there is was change to the balls that the league wouldn't have been open about it. Why would there be a mystery to it?

 

[BergyShines03]

Is it more cork in the ball or tighter stitchings??? I have seen guys hit homers using one arm and with a weak swing. I used to love the game of baseball but I lost interest with the games taking so long to play and they throw every ball out of play if it hits the ground. Waste of a baseball, a damn shame.