Something is different with the baseballs being hit in 2019. Commissioner Rob Manfred has vehemently denied this. Claiming that no changes were made in order to benefit the offensive player. The players say differently. Many pitchers have come out and stated the ball clearly benefits offense. They cite pitches normally “safe” as balls that are now deposited with ease. The statistics strongly differ as well. MLB is on pace for 6,668 long balls, nearly 1,100 more than a season ago, and 500 more than the record of 6,105 in 2017. Teams are averaging an astounding 2.74 homers a game, with 16 teams on pace to break franchise records. The pitchers are spot on but this begs the question: Are homeruns really better for baseball and fan involvement?
This question is incredibly difficult to answer as there are many factors that sway it one way or the other. It is quite clear that people in charge of the direction of the league believe the way to attract more fans and compete with the NBA, and NFL, is more homeruns. Manfred took over as MLB commissioner in a precarious time in which young fans are gravitating toward the NBA and NFL while baseball takes a backseat. Last season MLB attendance dropped below an average of 30,000 for the first time in 15 years. The criticism towards baseball is that it is slow-moving in an age where everything is done in an instant. The millennial does not have the patience to get through a 9-inning game with inconsistent big-time action. Too many plays are mundane with limited “action.” In order to fix this glaring issue, the commissioner has decided that the best course of action is to maximize baseballs’ prized action play: The Homerun. The long ball is easily baseballs top form of entertainment. In order to ensure its place among the top three sports in America, the decision makers have staged a full-on attack on the physics and make-up of the games baseball along with the pitchers who throw it. They will not come out and admit to the change but it is clear they are helping in making one of the hardest feats in sports, slightly easier.
It has paid off drastically. Strategy has completely shifted in its approach to producing runs. Each team is littered with all-or-nothing type power hitters who strike out at rates never seen before. It seems as if the “juiced” ball is encouraging more homeruns, more fans, and the game is more exciting than ever before. Not so fast. Baseball is still fighting an uphill battle against two leagues (the NBA and NFL) that have done a tremendous job attracting the younger fan. So far in 2019, the overall average attendance is down 9 percent. TV ratings are also on the decline as local viewership is down by 4% in the first half of the 2019 season. The plan is not necessarily working as anticipated and the league is still struggling to draw the younger fan. Are homeruns really better for baseball and fan involvement? The answer is no. Not only is the league struggling to appease to millennials but, it is also losing out on fans who really love and enjoy the strategic aspect of baseball. Pitch-by-pitch is a fascinating strategic battle that makes the game so unique. Strikeouts are the anti-homerun as far as action. As the league juices balls in hopes of increasing homerun numbers, fans will continue to see an onslaught of strikeouts. This is bad for the game no matter what way you spin it.