MLB Reportedly Used Balls with 3 Different Weights During 2022 Season

[Ron Madden]

MLB reportedly used baseballs with three different weights during the 2022 season

Major League Baseball reportedly used baseballs with three different weights during the 2022 season despite Commissioner Rob Manfred claiming the league eradicated the ball-discrepancy issues.

The weight of baseballs has a direct correlation in their exit velocity and ability to carry in the air. Heavier, "juiced" balls fly farther, creating more home runs, while lighter, "dead" balls carry for a shorter distance.

Bradford William Davis of Insider obtained research by astrophysicist Dr. Meredith Wills indicating MLB continued to use "juiced" baseballs that were supposed to go out of circulation.

Manfred claimed only the lighter "dead" balls were used during the 2022 season in July, chalking up last season's discrepancies to COVID-19 and errors in production.

Willis' research shows that not only did MLB continue using two different balls in 2022, there was also a third. Dubbed the "goldilocks" ball by the Insider report, this third ball was somewhere in between the "juiced" and "dead" balls.

In total, Willis studied 204 baseballs obtained from 22 different ballparks.

While it's worth noting MLB says baseballs are randomly distributed, Willis' research found the "goldilocks" balls were used throughout the postseason, World Series and All-Star Game festivities.

The only regular-season games where Willis found "goldilocks" balls were New York Yankees games.

Inconsistencies with baseballs have long been a source of frustration for pitchers, who have cast blame on MLB officials for their indifference.

"MLB has a very big problem with the baseballs, and they're bad," New York Mets pitcher Chris Bassitt in April. "Everyone knows it. Every pitcher in the league knows it. They're bad. [MLB] doesn't give a damn about it. We've told them our problems with [the baseballs]. They don't care."

It's worth noting that MLB began its 2022 season with a historic scoring drought before things leveled off as the season progressed.
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story here:
https://bleacherreport.com/articles/...ng-2022-season

[Redsfan6272]

how many arm injuries are related to different weighted baseballs? I would be wondering which injured pitcher might sue MLB because of it

[Strikes Out Looking]

I believe Mr. Judge got "goldilock" balls.

Manfred is an idiot.

[REDREAD]

I believe Mr. Judge got "goldilock" balls.

Manfred is an idiot.

No, he most likely got the juiced ones.
There were already rumors that MLB was using balls which created more offense on the nationally televised games.
When there's proof that 3 different balls were used, yet Manfred is basically denying it.. why does he think we are going to believe that the balls
were randomly distributed?
If the juiced ball helps TV rates, why not just use it all the time? I never understood why MLB thought they had to deaden the ball -- that seemed dumb IMO
Not fair to the players when they aren't sure what ball they are going to get on a given day.
Funny, they made such a stink about how the ump checking a pitcher's hand for illegal substances was going to foul up the game, but no one is calling out MLB for this.
Although I assume if someone made too much noise about this, the MLB lawyers would tear him to pieces.

[RedsBrick]

The official rules of baseball allow for discrepancies in both weight and circumference:

Rule 3.01 - It shall weigh
not less than five nor more than 5¼ ounces avoirdupois and measure
not less than nine nor more than 9¼ inches in circumference.

I don't see anything in the article that speaks to the actual weight of the three versions.

[Strikes Out Looking]

No, he most likely got the juiced ones.
There were already rumors that MLB was using balls which created more offense on the nationally televised games.
When there's proof that 3 different balls were used, yet Manfred is basically denying it.. why does he think we are going to believe that the balls
were randomly distributed?
If the juiced ball helps TV rates, why not just use it all the time? I never understood why MLB thought they had to deaden the ball -- that seemed dumb IMO
Not fair to the players when they aren't sure what ball they are going to get on a given day.
Funny, they made such a stink about how the ump checking a pitcher's hand for illegal substances was going to foul up the game, but no one is calling out MLB for this.
Although I assume if someone made too much noise about this, the MLB lawyers would tear him to pieces.

My mistake- yeah, I thought he got the juiced balls but mistyped my message. Bottom line, Manfred still an idiot.

[JCM11]

The morons running MLB are ruining the game at a rapid pace. We had 6776 HR hit in 2019 when the balls were blatantly juiced then three years latter that total drops over 1,500 to 5215 when only Yankee and nationally televised games get non socks to hit. It's a clown show at this point.

[Chip R]

No, he most likely got the juiced ones.
There were already rumors that MLB was using balls which created more offense on the nationally televised games.
When there's proof that 3 different balls were used, yet Manfred is basically denying it.. why does he think we are going to believe that the balls
were randomly distributed?
If the juiced ball helps TV rates, why not just use it all the time? I never understood why MLB thought they had to deaden the ball -- that seemed dumb IMO
Not fair to the players when they aren't sure what ball they are going to get on a given day.
Funny, they made such a stink about how the ump checking a pitcher's hand for illegal substances was going to foul up the game, but no one is calling out MLB for this.
Although I assume if someone made too much noise about this, the MLB lawyers would tear him to pieces.

They used different balls last season but they explained that away by saying there were balls from the previous season in there. As for this season, I think they only had so many of the good balls and they had the teams like the Yankees and Dodgers use them. Meanwhile, teams like the Reds and Pirates got the crap balls. Manfred's just trying to fix it like pro wrestling so the more popular teams/players have the advantage. The other teams don't get them because it would bring them up to the most favored players'/teams' levels.

[Wayne Krivsky]

how many arm injuries are related to different weighted baseballs? I would be wondering which injured pitcher might sue MLB because of it

Good point. My thoughts went immediately to the integrity of the game as far as Judge chasing records, the Pujols HR hot streak last year, etc.

I know the weight of the different balls isnt much, but you make 100+ throws with heavier balls and it has to have an impact. How many guys were given a heavier ball that pushed through because they were only at 85 pitches but their arm was dead? We saw several times this season where Hunter Greene was topping out at 96/97 instead of 100 on the radar gun....would a heavier ball be the issue?

[westofyou]

Wasn't the first time, won't be the last.

- - - Updated - - -

how many arm injuries are related to different weighted baseballs? I would be wondering which injured pitcher might sue MLB because of it

A couple of grams?

I'll say none. I'd be more worried about the shine and the uniformity of the stitching if I was a pitcher.

[Wayne Krivsky]

The official rules of baseball allow for discrepancies in both weight and circumference:

Rule 3.01 - It shall weigh
not less than five nor more than 5¼ ounces avoirdupois and measure
not less than nine nor more than 9¼ inches in circumference.

I don't see anything in the article that speaks to the actual weight of the three versions.

Even if within the rules it's a major issue if the league is giving certain balls for certain situations. It doesn't sound like this is just a margin of error of manufacturing, but a conscience decision based on situations. If that is the case you get into a much bigger concern about the integrity of the league. Are certain balls given to certain teams to give them an advantage? Could certain balls being given out effect gambling lines? Have to believe if I had inside info about juiced balls going to a game I'm getting to a sportsbook ASAP and betting the over.

[foster15]

They used different balls last season but they explained that away by saying there were balls from the previous season in there. As for this season, I think they only had so many of the good balls and they had the teams like the Yankees and Dodgers use them. Meanwhile, teams like the Reds and Pirates got the crap balls. Manfred's just trying to fix it like pro wrestling so the more popular teams/players have the advantage. The other teams don't get them because it would bring them up to the most favored players'/teams' levels.

If the Reds got the crap(dead balls), how bad would our ERA have been if we got the juiced ones?

[RedsBrick]

Even if within the rules it's a major issue if the league is giving certain balls for certain situations. It doesn't sound like this is just a margin of error of manufacturing, but a conscience decision based on situations. If that is the case you get into a much bigger concern about the integrity of the league. Are certain balls given to certain teams to give them an advantage? Could certain balls being given out effect gambling lines? Have to believe if I had inside info about juiced balls going to a game I'm getting to a sportsbook ASAP and betting the over.

There appears to be two sentences in that article that are based on unquestionable fact:

Every baseball obtained by Insider fell within the legal parameters of the MLB rulebook. In total, Willis studied 204 baseballs obtained from 22 different ballparks.

204 baseballs? Talk about a small sample size considering ~300k are used during a season.

The other questionable aspect is they obtained this report from an ASTROphysicist. Nothing good comes from the Astros (that part's a joke).

Too many holes in this story for me to form an opinion of wrongdoing or intentionality.

[Wayne Krivsky]

There appears to be two sentences in that article that are based on unquestionable fact:

Every baseball obtained by Insider fell within the legal parameters of the MLB rulebook. In total, Willis studied 204 baseballs obtained from 22 different ballparks.

204 baseballs? Talk about a small sample size considering ~300k are used during a season.

The other questionable aspect is they obtained this report from an ASTROphysicist. Nothing good comes from the Astros (that part's a joke).

Too many holes in this story for me to form an opinion of wrongdoing or intentionality.

You're spot on, we have probably 5% of the actual story, but what we do have is a small amount of data (which can be dangerous to go off of) that shows a questionable trend, and we also have some level of anecdotal evidence from players to suggest their is an issue.

We have smoke in the distance; we just don't know if it's from a campfire or if a house is about to burn down.

[RedsBrick]

You're spot on, we have probably 5% of the actual story, but what we do have is a small amount of data (which can be dangerous to go off of) that shows a questionable trend, and we also have some level of anecdotal evidence from players to suggest their is an issue.

We have smoke in the distance; we just don't know if it's from a campfire or if a house is about to burn down.

...or if B/R needs clicks and gets them by creating smoke from a cigarette.