MLB Claims Baseballs Used in Postseason Are the Same as the Regular Season

Juan Soto Nationals
Juan Soto Nationals / Harry How/Getty Images
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Major League Baseball has finally addressed the ball situation in the postseason. After a record-breaking regular season when baseball's were flying out of parks like crazy, the postseason has seen a big change. Rob Arthur at Baseball Prospectus has dug into the numbers:

The speculation is that the league has switched out the regular season balls for new ones in the postseason.

On Thursday afternoon, MLB finally responded to the speculation:

MLB's statement said the balls used in the postseason are from the same batches of balls used in the regular season, the only difference is the stamp on the ball. The statement continues:

"The baseballs used in Major League Baseball are manufactured in batches. Balls that are used in the Postseason are pulled from the same batches as balls used in the regular season. Regular season and Postseason balls are manufactured with the same materials and under the same processes. The only difference is the Postseason stamp that is placed on the ball. As has been previously acknowledged, however, the drag of the baseball can very over different time periods."

So Major League Baseball is basically screaming that there's nothing to see here but it's fairly obvious something is up.