MLB commissioner Rob Manfred on Wednesday again disputed the notion the baseballs have been “dejuiced” for the playoffs after the industry set a regular-season record for home runs with what many felt were juiced balls.
“I think that analysis based on large sample sizes, season-long sizes, is really the most reliable research,” Manfred said, shortly before World Series Game 2 began. “We’re going to have that report from the scientists.
“… I can tell you one thing for absolute certain: Just like every other year, the balls that were used in this postseason were selected from lots that were used during the regular season. There was no difference in those baseballs.”
The “report from the scientists,” a study on the 2019 baseballs’ drag or lack thereof — earlier this season, Manfred asserted his belief that these balls had less drag, allowing them to travel further — will be coming sometime between the end of the World Series and the end of the year, he said.
MLB and the Players Association are discussing the idea of testing players for opioids in the wake of Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs’ death. Skaggs died on July 1, choking on his own vomit, with the opioids fentanyl and oxycodone as well as alcohol in his bloodstream.
“I would say that the dialogue on this has been really positive with the Players Association,” Manfred said. “A lot of common ground on addressing the issue.”