By now most baseball fans are aware that MLB league officials went around to each team’s Spring Training facility informing them that umpires would be more diligent in monitoring pitchers for foreign substances, this in accordance to the new foreign substance rule agreed upon by MLB and the MLB Players Association last March.

That crackdown came in response to concerns by league officials (and a number of players) that pitchers were using substances well beyond the approved rosin to maintain control of the ball and were instead using unapproved ‘sticky stuff’ as a means of artificially enhancing the quality of their pitches by increasing spin and movement. It is also due to the significant increase in number of strikeouts in the game today.

As you might expect, the ‘more diligent monitoring by umpires’ was not well received by everyone, primarily pitchers, of course.

If you recall, umpires began increasing their inspections of pitchers midway through the 2021 season, but within a few weeks the increased inspections pretty much tapered off. That being said, to this day you still see umpires inspect every pitcher (a few of them multiple times during a game) and there were two ejections for pitchers whom umpires determined violated the foreign substance rule during the 2021 season. And though there were zero ejections last season for failed foreign substance inspections, Arizona Diamondback (and former Giants) left-hander Madison Bumgarner was thrown out for insulting umpire Dan Bellino during an inspection – an ejection for which Bellino later apologized).

The inspections reared their ugly head again last Fall when, during the 2022 National League Wild Card game, New York Mets manager Buck Showalter requested umpires examine San Diego Padres starter Joe Musgrove. Musgrove passed the inspection, remained in the game, and tossed seven scoreless innings, with the Padres advancing to the Division Series … and we ALL know how that one ended.

Although the Musgrove incident ultimately turned out to be inconsequential, the League apparently has concerns that pitchers have found ways around the substance checks in general. The Athletic‘s Eno Sarris noted last September that league spin rates on four-seam fastballs had risen throughout the 2021 season after having declined upon the start of inspections in mid-summer 2021. The League has taken note of this trend and MLB expressed similar concerns about a rise in spin rate during Spring Training 2022. Unfortunately, the League plans to increase enforcement last season apparently did not have the desired effect.

As for this Spring, umpires are expected to again examine pitcher’s equipment like hats and belts, this in addition to the inspections of their hands. The inspections will undoubtedly be more thorough than they had been and umpires will likely increase mid-inning inspections if they believe that a pitcher may be using a foreign substance.

Whether the increased inspections will have any tangible effects during the 2023 season or not remains to be seen, but the hope is that by doing so, there will be an increase in the number of balls in play; this in addition to MLB implementing infield shift limitations, larger bases, a pitch clock, while hoping to reduce the number of strikeouts and increase the pace of play.

Play Ball!

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