Major League Baseball has entered the no spin zone and it does not appear to be good news for of the league’s top aces.
As team owners voted to in favor last week to crack down on foreign substances being applied to balls, which includes potential 10-day suspensions for any offenders, there has been a significant drop in the spin rate of several pitchers, including Gerrit Cole and Trevor Bauer.
According to CBS Sports’ Mike Axisa, citing data from Baseball Savant, Cole’s spin rate dropped six percent across his full pitch arsenal in his previous start against the Rays, in which he allowed five earned runs on five hits and walked two over five innings.
Players around the league took notice, including Twins third baseman Josh Donaldson, who will face Cole on Wednesday.
“Is it a coincidence that Gerrit Cole’s spin rate numbers went down after four minor leaguers got suspended 10 games?” Donaldson told reporters. “Is that possible? I don’t know. Maybe. At the same time, with this situation, they’ve let guys do it.”
Yankees manager Aaron Boone was asked about Donaldson’s comments on Sunday, but was rather dismissive about it.
“I don’t make much of it,” Boone told reporters. “Gerrit, as well as our staff members, I believe, are mostly above board and they’ll be able to handle the situation in the right kind of way and it’s not going to affect the kind of pitchers they are.”
Cole was named in a lawsuit during the offseason as someone who doctored baseballs. He was also, coincidentally, indirectly called out by Bauer a few seasons ago when the Dodgers pitcher, then with the Indians, strongly hinted Cole and the Astros were doctoring baseballs to enhance spin rate.
Bauer, who has become a sort of poster-child for increased spin rate in the league, also saw his spin rates decrease 10 percent in his start Sunday against the Braves, in which he allowed three runs on six hits and four walks over six innings.
The right-hander cited a “hot, humid day in Atlanta” as the explanation for his decreased spin rate but added he wants to be playing on a fair playing field.
“I’ll say it again. That’s been the whole point this entire time,” he told reporters after the game. “Let everyone compete on a fair playing field. So if you’re going to enforce it then enforce it. And if you’re not then stop sweeping it under the rug, which is what they’ve done for four years now.”
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