New York, USA / 08.02.2021 17:01:09
The Major League Baseball They are about to make one of the quieter changes that could also change the course of the season for several players and teams.
In an effort to reduce the number of home runs, MLB is about to slightly change the construction of the ball they will use next season, according to a report from The Athletic. Five more teams are reportedly adding humidifiers to places where they store ball boxes, a method that apparently would also work to reduce home runs.
According to an analysis made by the same publication, the change in the construction of the ball will make it “less bouncy” and the number of home runs will be reduced by 5 percent.
“It will be like adding five feet of outfield walls to every wall in the majors,” said The Athletic analyst.
The number of home runs in the majors went from 4,186 in 2014 to 6,776 in 2019. The only year in which the number of home runs did not grow was between 2017 and 2018, when they went from 6,105 to 5,585.
MLB seems to be looking for consistency with upcoming changes. While strikeouts and home runs are going to remain an important part of the game, the league may want to normalize some of the numbers that have been inflated in the last decade.
