Mets hitting coach makes bold accusation against MLB

New York Mets hitting coach Eric Chavez asserted that the MLB seems to be using different baseballs for nationally-televised games. 

In 2019, Houston Astros pitcher Justin Verlander made headlines when he accused the MLB of cheating by “juicing” up baseballs.

The bouncier balls tend to soar, increasing the ability to score a homer with every soaring hit. At the time, Verlander called it a “joke”, alleging that the MLB’s purchase of Rawlings prompted a change in how MLB baseballs were constructed.

“Manfred the first time he came in, what’d he say? He said we want more offense,” Verlander said. “All of a sudden he comes in, the balls are juiced? It’s not coincidence. We’re not idiots.”

Three years later, the juicing rumor is still floating around, but this time, it’s New York Mets hitting coach Eric Chavez insisting the veracity of the claim.

Newsday’s Tim Healey spoke with Chavez about how national broadcasts always seem to have juicier balls rather than deadened ones.

Chavez recounted how several Mets players told him to watch out for the balls during a Mets-Phillies game showcased on “Sunday Night Baseball.”

“I thought for a second, ‘You guys are full of it,'” Chavez said.

Then Chavez understood what the players were saying.

“The ball was traveling farther — balls that weren’t hit as hard. And I’m like, wait a minute, that shouldn’t have happened,” Chavez said. “The ball was just traveling better. That was the eye test, but then we lined it up with what the analytics were telling us.”

Mets players told Eric Chavez about “juiced” baseballs during big MLB games

As the 2019 Verlander story illustrates, this isn’t the first time the issue of lacking quality control in baseball has become an issue. Baseball America’s Kyle Glaser detailed how Verlander wasn’t wrong: those 2019 balls did soar farther for a scientific reason.

"“After the 2019 season, an independent study commissioned by MLB concluded 60% of the increase in home runs could be attributed to lower seam height on baseballs, resulting in less drag and balls flying farther. It was determined the differences in seam height were a byproduct of each ball being stitched by hand.”"

In 2021, the MLB did address the issue of increased home run rates in recent years, issuing a memo throughout the league describing how new MLB balls would be different.

"“Among the changes, balls are now lighter and the coefficient of restitution—essentially, the bounciness of each ball—will be more consistent. In its memo, MLB said an independent lab found fly balls hit more than 375 feet lost one to two feet of distance with the changes. An analyst contacted by The Athletic estimated the changes will reduce home runs by about 5%.”"

In May 2022, it seems little has changed: the belief remains that balls are altered to boost offensive productivity. CBS Sports’ Dayn Perry makes the distinction that the rumor could be nothing more than a conspiracy reminiscent of Deflategate, as science ensures that colder months bring denser balls. “The cooler temperature of April and the expanded use of humidors to store baseballs probably play a role,” wrote Perry.