Why the Baseball Started FLYING in June!
7/1/202614 min
Baseballs started flying in June -- and it wasn't simply warmer weather -- it might be a manufacturing error! Eno and DVR explain why changes in drag on the baseball have a significant impact on home runs, and how Major League Baseball's revelation of a manufacturing error may provide some clues as to why we have seen so much variation in how the ball has played throughout the first half of the season. With drag recently returning to the same levels we saw in 2019, they wonder if we're going to see a massive uptick in home runs throughout the...
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First 90 secondsDerek Van Riper· Host0:00
[upbeat music] Welcome to a special episode of Rates & Barrels. If you notice that the ball has been flying the last few weeks, well, there is a good reason for it. Major League Baseball has a splotchy ball problem.
Eno Sarris· Host0:23
That's right. From our own sourcing, as well as a statement from MLB itself, what we found is that there is a manufacturing error that was made over the off-season in creating the man-made ball. What has happened was they used too much mineral oil in one part of the process. That is in the yarn, and it has begun seeping out. When they unpacked the balls in spring, they discovered splotches, yellow, discolored balls, and too much oil on the surface of these balls. They are trying to remove as much as they can. They, they say that this affects about 50% of the balls, but it is a problem they cannot solve. Because of the lead times associated with baseball production, the balls without staining will not be shipped to clubs until late this season or early next.
Derek Van Riper· Host1:12
So let's break this down for a minute. Major League Baseball publicly shares drag information, right? So we can see when drag on the baseball changes. We have data going back to 2016. It's out there, so everyone can monitor it. You can see the times when drag goes down and the ball starts to fly. You can