The 2019 season brought about another significant increase in home runs across MLB. Teams combined to slug a record 6,776 home runs this year — shattering the previous mark set in 2017 by 671 more.
The uptick only fueled previous speculation that the baseballs had been altered. Many players voiced their opinions on the matter, including Houston Astros ace Justin Verlander, who pinned the blame directly on the league.
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred has repeatedly denied such claims, insisting that the baseballs remained in their original form.
In order to quell these concerns, MLB released a 27-page report that detailed the likely causes of the home run surge in 2019, via ESPN’s Jeff Passan:
Decreases in air resistance spurred by inconsistent seam height on the baseball as well as “changes in player behavior” that produced different launch angles and exit velocities led to the dramatic increase in home runs during the 2019 season, according to a preliminary report released Wednesday by Major League Baseball.