Mets coach shares crazy theory on juiced baseballs

Feb 17, 2019; West Palm Beach, FL, USA; MLB commissioner Rob Manfred addresses representatives from the grapefruit league during the annual spring training media day at Hilton in West Palm Beach. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

A number of people around Major League Baseball remain convinced that the baseballs used during games have been deadened to reduce offense. New York Mets hitting coach Eric Chavez has signed on to an even wilder theory.

Chavez had heard from others around the league that there was a belief that the league was using different baseballs in nationally televised games that were more hitter-friendly. Chavez did not believe the rumor until the Mets played the Philadelphia Phillies on ESPN’s “Sunday Night Baseball” on May 1. He found himself agreeing with the theory.

“The ball was traveling farther — balls that weren’t hit as hard. And I’m like, wait a minute, that shouldn’t have happened,” Chavez told Tim Healey of Newsday. “The ball was just traveling better. That was the eye test, but then we lined it up with what the analytics were telling us.”

Chavez is convinced that something is going on, and pointed to analytics to back up his point.

“We’ve been hitting balls 104, 105 [mph] at the right launch angle that aren’t leaving. And all of a sudden, now we’re hitting balls 95 — a little less hard than the other balls — and those balls are traveling on Sunday night,” Chavez added.

It’s worth noting that four home runs were hit in that game, all by Philadelphia. According to Baseball Savant, three of the four had an exit velocity over 105 mph, with Johan Camargo hitting one out down the right field line at 99.4 mph.

Still, add Chavez to the list of people who think something fishy is going on. Others have offered more straightforward explanations, but some are clearly convinced that something else is going on.