“Now the ball’s dead and they’re telling us to hit it low. What’re we supposed to do?” - MLB players vent anger as they lose patience with dead baseballs

By now you've heard of the MLB's dead ball problem. Players are crushing baseballs like they always do, but they're not hitting as many home runs. Last season, teams averaged 1.22 home runs per game. The year before that, it was 1.28. In 2019, teams averaged 1.39 home runs every game. Now, in 2022, that number has fallen below one home run per game. It's just 0.97.

The MLB's altered baseballs are mostly to blame, but some other factors are decreasing offense too. For instance, the Baltimore Orioles extended Camden Yards' left field wall this offseason by 30 feet. The added distance has been robbing a multitude of home runs. In 2021, teams averaged 3.42 homers per game in Baltimore. In 2022, that number has dropped to 1.06.

"excuse me your ballpark is broken @Orioles" - @ Talkin' Baseball

That's not a little change. It's big.

MLB players vent anger as they lose patience with dead baseballs

Overall MLB OPS has dropped from .728 in 2021 to .686 in 2022.

Players have been complaining about the dead balls all year. In an article published by "The Athletic," MLB reporter Eno Sarris interviewed several players about the altered baseballs. One player on the Oakland Athletics chose to remain anonymous when giving this quote:

“They told us to hit the ball high when the ball was hard, and we did,” he said. "Now the ball’s dead and they’re telling us to hit it low? What’re we supposed to do right now.”

Players pay attention to their in-depth statistics like average exit velocity and launch angle. If they're making good, powerful contact into the outfield, they expect to hit some home runs, but that's not the case this year.

"I hit a ball 108 (mph) at 23 degrees in Baltimore, straight center, just smashed, and I’m like that’s gone,” said Minnesota Twins infielder Carlos Correa, "but the center fielder catches it and hits the wall and the ball drops, but I’m like, 108?"

Carlos Correa had hit six home runs by mid-May in 2021. This season, he's hit just two.

“What’s up with that, bro?" Correa said.

Heavier balls, humidors, and extended outfields: that's what, Carlos Correa. Commenting on the heaviness of this year's baseballs, Correa's teammate Max Kepler said he can feel the added weight coming off his bat.

“The balls are a little mushy some days," Kepler said.

He then added that sometimes an old ball — one of the lighter, not-dead ones — makes its way into a game. He can feel the difference.

"And then the next day they’re 2019 balls,” he said. “I feel like there’s a mixture of balls, it’s not just one ball.”

Kepler added that he's making good contact and hitting with power, but the results aren't coming.

“I noticed early on this year that I hit three balls that my hitting coach said should’ve been homers, according to launch angle and exit velocity, and I thought that’s interesting,” he said.

MLB players rely on consistency to perform. Apart from less traveling, it's why they prefer playing at home. So when there's no telling how heavy a game's baseballs will be, it's a disadvantage. Philadelphia Phillies hitting coach Kevin Long said inconsistency is the biggest problem.

“You just want consistency, and there was a lot of inconsistency,” said Long. “And then I picked up the balls in L.A. They were completely different. They were darker. They seemed to be harder. They just seemed to be a different baseball. But I don’t know. That’s just from feel and look and appearance. I mean, I’m not a scientist. I can’t tell you for sure. I just know the ball seemed to be traveling much better.”

"Imagine hitting a ball so well that you are shocked to the point that you fall over when it is caught at the wall. The dead ball has got to go. Major League Baseball is full of lying executives, starting with Robert, and it is a disaster." - @ Ryan M. Spaeder

As humans do with all change, MLB players will adjust to the new baseballs. It's just a matter of time and more consistent baseballs.