What's do you think about

[Hez]

all of these homeruns now in baseball?

Do you think the ball is juiced?

I do! I think they knew they had to do something a couple of years back when baseball was losing it's following and ratings...about the same time everyone was complaining that the games were too long...and considering a time clock.

What MLB didn't consider...is baseball is the MOST stat driven sport....they thrive on analytics....

They didn't think someone would add the numbers up and catch on?

Don't get me wrong...it's a lot more entertaining than it was...even though I am a hardcore baseball fan....even though they won't admit doing it....I think they may have saved the sport.

[HaulinBass]

Wound tighter.

[Hez]

Wound tighter.

That's logical. I can definitely see that being the case

[gonefishin555]

Who cares; as long as both teams are hitting the same type balls.

[Iowa Bass Hunter]

https://www.baseball-reference.com/l.../MLB/bat.shtml

HR totals are up. Highest ever. So are Strike outs. There could be something about the ball but I believe it has more to do with guys trying to hit homers. Players keep getting bigger. Pitchers keep throwing harder. If a guy puts a big swing on a hard pitch it is going to get hit hard if he makes contact. Slugging percentage is not at it's highest. Although it is in the higher rungs. Small ball is just not played anymore. When they go to a pinch hitter they pick a guy off the bench that's 6'4" 230# and can drive a ball hard. JMO

[GZ ONE]

Back spin , launch angle , leg drive , no ground balls . Look at Harper and Trout' s swing . Or better yet look at Justin Turner's swing . I saw a quote from Justin Turner back in the summer that said " If I fly out 4 times , I had a great night because I didn't hit a ground ball " - there's a lot of truth to that if you think about it.

[Holden]

Probably a combination of the ball and the way the game is being played now compared to years past.

Lots of revolutionizing drugs coming out in the PED market that have been readily available for years. Hard to test for as the effects are not as strong as straight test. However, over a couple years of cycling on and off, some of these drugs offer the same benefits as a couple 12-16 week pinning cycles without the red flags that pop up on blood tests.

PEDs are nothing new in baseball, and I do not condone them. Just throwing it out there.

[D.O.C. 989]

Sports in general have been aided by the tech age. Computers are used to help athletes to up their games in all sports. Records are broken every year by athletes. Look at the weights that are winning in Bass fishing, tech advancements are even helping in that sport.

[Holden]

https://www.si.com/mlb/2017/05/16/pe...-home-run-rate

[vausoner]

Let them roid.

[GZ ONE]

Sports in general have been aided by the tech age. Computers are used to help athletes to up their games in all sports. Records are broken every year by athletes. Look at the weights that are winning in Bass fishing, tech advancements are even helping in that sport.

The "Hit Trax" is a perfect example of the computer's being used

[GZ ONE]

Probably a combination of the ball and the way the game is being played now compared to years past.

Lots of revolutionizing drugs coming out in the PED market that have been readily available for years. Hard to test for as the effects are not as strong as straight test. However, over a couple years of cycling on and off, some of these drugs offer the same benefits as a couple 12-16 week pinning cycle without the red flags that pop up on blood tests.

PEDs are nothing new in baseball, and I do not condone them. Just throwing it out there.

PED'S do not help you square the ball up , look at Bonds , he could hit before he took them . It just adds more strength and more tork for power .

[dean c]

Anybody seen Jose Altuve? And he hits a bunch of them...jus sayin, maybe some of them are just that good.

[DrewFlu33]

I actually did some data analysis on baseball statistics around the steroid era a while back as a side project that didn't really go anywhere. It doesn't take more than a couple chart plots to see exactly when it started and when it ended (though the start was more gradual than the ending). I won't go as far as saying it's roids again, but the data sure looks like it's started again. With as many variations on PEDs as are showing up now, I don't think the testing can keep up with all of them. That's just my opinion.

Maybe they have changed the ball, but I think that would've come out by now. I have a hard time believing that someone working in the factory in whatever third world country makes the balls wouldn't have said something.

[TableRock55]

The baseball is different. Wound tighter and the seams are even flatter. Pick up a pro ball and compare it to a ball used in high school and the pro ball feels like a pool ball. Personally, I do not think that there is a prevalence of PED's, although there are those who will try. I also believe that today's hitters are the best they've ever been. Back in the 60's for example, there were far more complete games thrown by a pitcher. Therefore a hitter would face the starter quite often at least 3-4 times. The more you see him, the better chance you have to hit him. Plus, as the game wears on the pitcher gets tired and loses a little bit. Those pitchers in those days were not as well conditioned as pitchers of today. Now today's hitters will face the starter maybe twice and then they bring on the specialists. Most of the specialists throw absolute gas or they have a specialty pitch with movement that is an absolute bitch to hit. Therefore the hitters are constantly adjusting to a new arm. Yet we still see phenomenal success. That's why I think today's hitters are the best ever.

[Holden]

PED'S do not help you square the ball up , look at Bonds , he could hit before he took them . It just adds more strength and more tork for power .

The dyanamic of hitting has changed for sure. Couple the new hitting techniques with revolutionary PEDs, and you get more homeruns.

Only my two cents.

[DrewFlu33]

The baseball is different. Wound tighter and the seams are even flatter. Pick up a pro ball and compare it to a ball used in high school and the pro ball feels like a pool ball. Personally, I do not think that there is a prevalence of PED's, although there are those who will try. I also believe that today's hitters are the best they've ever been. Back in the 60's for example, there were far more complete games thrown by a pitcher. Therefore a hitter would face the starter quite often at least 3-4 times. The more you see him, the better chance you have to hit him. Plus, as the game wears on the pitcher gets tired and loses a little bit. Those pitchers in those days were not as well conditioned as pitchers of today. Now today's hitters will face the starter maybe twice and then they bring on the specialists. Most of the specialists throw absolute gas or they have a specialty pitch with movement that is an absolute bitch to hit. Therefore the hitters are constantly adjusting to a new arm. Yet we still see phenomenal success. That's why I think today's hitters are the best ever.

The pro balls have always been different. They recess the seams on them so the pitchers can't get as much movement on the ball. It's been that way for at least 15 years that I know for sure.

[Sunkist]

No

[TableRock55]

The pro balls have always been different. They recess the seams on them so the pitchers can't get as much movement on the ball. It's been that way for at least 15 years that I know for sure.

That is true, but they have taken it a step further.

[mrlawler1]

Anybody seen Jose Altuve? And he hits a bunch of them...jus sayin, maybe some of them are just that good.

That and there are a lot of the better athletes that are skipping football now too... And why not to be honest... Look at the money that baseball is paying.. Same goes for basketball... If Amber and I decide to ever have any kids I think I'm gonna put a tennis racket or a golf club in their hands over a football... They'll certainly play baseball and softball...I love football but damn...