Are most pitchers cheating/post-crackdown analysis

[Dodecahedron]

Interesting numbers, but that's really not much of a difference.  Sure, the graph makes it look like the difference is huge.

How much more is the ball spinning with a 1 RPM difference and the ball is going 90 MPH?  That's a very small fraction of a rotation.

[Rosterman]

Sweat and sunscreen. You can cover the pitcher in sunscreen, but don't allow him to itch or touh any other part of his body, I guess.

 

I remember the rumors of the day when a ball in play came back to the pitcher with an added substance from one of the fielders.

 

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

On 6/16/2021 at 2:25 PM, Dodecahedron said:

Interesting take.

https://www.insider.com/tyler-glasnow-explains-using-sticky-substances-while-pitching-2021-6

Glasnow will be an interesting case.

Anyone browsing the web can try going to Tyler Glasnow’s baseballsavant profile page and looking at his spin rate increases, year to year. Keep in mind before interpreting the data that, at least by my understanding, there are still open questions on what a good spin rate is, or how much an increase helps, or how much of an increase should be viewed as suspicious. 

Scroll halfway down (if on smartphone)  to the Pitch Tracking section, then click on +View More Seasons to expand back to 2015, and keep swiping all the way right (on smartphone) until you get to the Spin column. The number for most players will usually be in the two thousands and will represent the revolutions per minute that the ball turns on the way from the pitcher’s hand to home plate.

(Also tagging @Original_JB who had similar comment on another thread)

https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/savant-player/tyler-glasnow-607192?stats=statcast-r-pitching-mlb

 

 

[h2oface]

And to think it all started with a little spit. Spitballs. I guess that just isn't good enough anymore.

Degrees of cheating. "Because they don't enforce a rule then it is not actually a rule." Really Trevor Bauer? To me, when I speed, along with all the other cars, and no speeding rule is being enforced, I don't convince myself there is no longer a speed limit. I know it could be enforced at any time, and that is my risk. 

If a pitcher can't control the ball by throwing it that hard, then he needs to not throw it that hard. That is the whole point. If the pitchers can cheat, why not allow corked bats and or some other advantage? The answer is to stop cheating. If you will injure your hand or elbow by gripping the ball too hard to throw it so hard, if you want to have a long career, don't throw it so hard, and then you don't have to create your own injury. Seems simple to me. Bauer wants to make it safer for hitters? Then don't throw it so hard. 

Perhaps we should also make the pitchers, if they hit a batter, go stand in the on-deck-circle (or some other location TBD), and the batter gets to throw one ball at him from the batters box on the opposite side of the plate. The pitcher can dodge the ball all he wants (more defense than a batter has) but has to stay in the on-deck-circle, and the batter gets ejected if he hits the pitcher above the letters. If the pitcher moves out of the designated "circle of shame", then the batter gets a second (and third etc) throw. Make the pitcher pay for hitting a batter, I would love to see the pitcher finally have to suffer the consequenses of hitting a batter. The umpire, of course, could declare no hit if he feels the batter "flops" and tries to get hit. A flagrant HBP so to speak. Judgement call, like a personal foul in basketball. The pitcher can still get off scott free, and dodge the ball thrown in the cicle of shame, but it would be fun to watch a side dodgeball break. Great fun.

[TheLeviathan]

Here's why spin rate matters.

The stuff these guys are using allows them to crank the spin rate but also throw the ball harder because they maintain more control at the higher velocities with the added grip.  As you can see in the charts, added velocity and added spin rate is murder on hitters.

[Fritzderkat]

2 hours ago, h2oface said:

Degrees of cheating. "Because they don't enforce a rule then it is not actually a rule."

Cheating has always been an integral part of the great American game. Funny  about that, but you can find it at almost any level.

 

[Vanimal46]

Eno Sarris replied in the thread saying it’s the largest drop in spin rate since they started tracking it. 

[TheLeviathan]

It's almost like they WERE all cheating!  *super exaggerated shock face*

Now it'll be curious to what happens to offense and strikeouts.

[Eris]

This is the most detailed article that I have found. 
 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.rotoballer.com/spin-rate-fallers-after-mlb-substance-rule-change/893118%3famp=1

This graph is also interesting. Edited this graph was posted above by @Vanimal46
https://www.yardbarker.com/mlb/articles/this_graph_shows_how_much_mlb_rules_enforcement_has_affected_spin_rates/s1_127_35195162

[Eris]

Chapman’s spin rate is also dropping. Notable in that decreasing spin rates may have played a role in the Twins most memorable win of the season. 
 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/empiresportsmedia.com/new-york-yankees/yankees-chapmans-velocity-and-spin-rate-were-both-significantly-down-in-thursdays-loss/amp/

[Brock Beauchamp]

I have no sympathy for pitchers at this point.

[Otto von Ballpark]

Here is a great article with data and summaries about the effect of the “no sticky stuff” enforcement so far:

https://www.si.com/mlb/2021/06/28/sticky-stuff-crackdown-is-working-opener

[Brock Beauchamp]

On 7/2/2021 at 7:17 AM, Otto von Ballpark said:

Here is a great article with data and summaries about the effect of the “no sticky stuff” enforcement so far:

https://www.si.com/mlb/2021/06/28/sticky-stuff-crackdown-is-working-opener

Excellent article, probably the best I've read about it.

[PDX Twin]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2021/07/02/sticky-stuff-baseball-data/

Very early days, but the differences look substantial.

[AceWrigley]

I guess if you want to subscribe you can actually read it.

[PDX Twin]

1 hour ago, AceWrigley said:

I guess if you want to subscribe you can actually read it.

They used to allow a limited number of articles each month for free. Have they stopped doing that?

[AceWrigley]

10 hours ago, PDX Twin said:

They used to allow a limited number of articles each month for free. Have they stopped doing that?

Thankfully yes.

[dbminn]

22 hours ago, PDX Twin said:

They used to allow a limited number of articles each month for free. Have they stopped doing that?

They still allow a few free articles. It's available. The change has definitely made a difference in terms of spin rate for many pitchers. It will be interesting to see how it plays out.