Baseball fans divided by complaints about MLB’s experimental ‘enhanced grip’ ball being used in minors: "Just let the dudes use sticky stuff"
MLB just can't seem to stop tinkering with America's Pastime. The league hit a home run with the pitch clock, bigger bases, and defensive shift bans this season. However, there's another experiment at work in the minor leagues that is drawing ire from the players that are being used as guinea pigs.
In the Class-AA Southern League, MLB is dabbling with a new "enhanced grip" ball that many minor league pitchers are having a tremendously difficult time controlling.
Hitters don't like the ball for two reasons. First, pitchers that can harness the power of the new grip are putting extraordinary spin rates on the ball. Second, pitchers who can't are plunking batters at epidemic levels.
Prospects at AA Rocket City are concerned about the new "enhanced grip" ball being tested MLB.
They don't like it.
"It’s frustrating for the whole clubhouse,” said a player.
"I really have no idea where the ball’s going to go," said another.
Story: theathletic.com/4456695/2023/0… https://t.co/eamB4oqq8C
At the Los Angeles Angels Double-A affiliate, the Rocket City Trash Pandas, players are tremendously frustrated at the experiment. Their pitchers are having difficulties throwing and their batters are constantly bailing out of the way of would-be beanballs.
One Trash Pandas pitcher, speaking anonymously, told The Athletic:
"They’re changing something we’ve been doing our whole lives. It’s been a struggle to get used to them. Especially with the fastballs for me. There are some pitches where I really have no idea where the ball’s going to go. It was a completely different ball."
The new baseballs are coated with a sticky substance to make them tackier and easier for pitchers to grip. It's also brighter, so batters can see it easier as it rapidly approaches their heads.
@SamBlum3 @enosarris what the hell is a enhanced grip ball? Just let the dudes use sticky stuff lol
@SamBlum3 MLB should just listen to Scherzer then - sweat and rosin sweat and rosin - they going to wait to someone gets hurt before they pull these balls, I have seen way to many videos in the last week of guys with no control throwing this ball, mlb do better!!!!
Angels manager Phil Nevin told The Athletic that spin rates are "out of sight." However, he has concerns as Double-A is a level that many MLB teams pluck pitchers from to play in the big leagues.
"It’s testing something out, I get that. It’s just the way we’re implementing things. They thought Double A was the best spot, I don’t know. We’re still taking guys from Double A to the big leagues. That’s my only concern right now. … It’s stuff that we’re looking into."
@SamBlum3 @BillShaikin Im sure experimenting with baseballs is fantastic for prospect development.
Awesome that MLB just keeps doing this twitter.com/samblum3/statu…
@SamBlum3 MLB is hurting prospects with this shit
According to The Athletic, Southern League batters are striking out in 30 percent of Southern League plate appearances — up 24.9 percent from all of last season and up 27.5 percent from this point in 2022.
@jaysonst @SamBlum3 Just stop with all this stuff! Just play the game with consistent baseballs and forget all this
so when do we find a more logical and advanced approach to testing products than on real life actual MLB minor leaguers? seems outdated and cruel twitter.com/SamBlum3/statu…
MLB refused to disclose to The Athletic what the substance is that is being used to coat the balls. Professional leagues in Japan and Korea also use their own versions of "enhanced grip" balls without experiencing the dilemmas currently underway in the Southern League.
Just use the Japanese league balls. twitter.com/SamBlum3/statu…
@DoublePlayDre @SamBlum3 @enosarris They're trying to come up with a ball that comes out of the box with the right amount of tack so nobody needs to use sticky stuff. Mizuno got it right in NPB & KBO, don't know why Rawlings can't figure it out.
Angels shortstop Zach Neto not a fan of MLB experiment
Angels shortstop Zach Neto, who spent seven games with Rocket City before being called up, experienced playing with tacky balls. He relayed his experience to The Athletic:
"After the first game, we were like, ‘There’s no way these balls last the first half, or even past a week."
No word yet as to what MLB's plans are regarding the future of the "enhanced grip" ball.