The Top 10 BIGGEST Juiced Ball Frauds

The 2019 Major League Baseball season was marked by a record-breaking number of home runs, surpassing the previous record set in 2017 by over 600 home runs. The increase began to be noticeable as early as April 5th, prompting studies by MLB and independent journalists to investigate potential causes. The 2019 baseball was found to have less drag, allowing it to carry further in the air. Despite MLB stating that the manufacturing process had not changed, the number of home runs hit in 2019 was unprecedented, with over 1,200 more than the steroid-era peak in 2000. The distribution of home runs in 2019 saw a rise in 'middle-class' home run hitters, overshadowing traditional sluggers and leading to a homogenization of player performance. This surge in home runs had lasting effects, influencing player contracts and fan perceptions, and causing a significant shift in offensive output in subsequent seasons.

The video script delves into an analysis of the 2019 'juiced ball' season using advanced metrics from Statcast data. The host sets a home run cutoff at 25 to focus on significant home run hitters and employs several metrics to evaluate player performance. These include Barrel rate, which measures the optimal conditions for extra base hits; average exit velocity (exit V); the difference between expected and actual weighted on-base average (XwOBA to wOBA) for fly balls; exit velocity for the hitter's 50% best struck balls; and the difference in 2019 isolated slugging from their career ISO. The analysis aims to identify players whose 2019 home run totals may have been inflated due to the characteristics of the ball, rather than their inherent abilities.

The script reveals a list of players who were identified as the 'Juiced Ball Saviors,' those whose performance was not significantly affected by the ball's characteristics. It also discusses the surprising inclusion of certain players like José Altuve, who adapted to the 'juiced ball' era by transitioning from a contact hitter to a power hitter, and Charlie Blackmon, whose performance was attributed partially to the favorable conditions of his home ballpark. The analysis highlights players like Torres, Marte, Kepler, and others who may have been overvalued due to the 'juiced ball' season, suggesting that their 2019 performances were not indicative of their true abilities.

The video script discusses the transformation of players like Altuve, who managed to adapt to the 'juiced ball' and become a power hitter, and others like Alex Bregman and Yuli Gurriel, who were part of the Houston Astros' powerful offense. It points out that Bregman's 2019 season skewed expectations of his capabilities, and that Gurriel's mid-season power surge may have been a strategic response to the fly balls turning into home runs. The analysis also touches upon the success stories of players who managed to thrive during the 'juiced ball' era, adjusting their gameplay to maximize their potential.

The script culminates in the revelation of the biggest 'juiced ball' fraud of the 2019 season, identifying Brett Gardner as the player whose home run total was most likely inflated by the ball's characteristics. Gardner, who had a career-high 28 home runs in 2019, was not known for his power, with an average of 11 home runs per 162 games prior to that season. His isolated slugging (ISO) in 2019 was significantly higher than his previous career high, suggesting an outlier performance. The analysis concludes that Gardner's 2019 season was an anomaly, likely due to the 'juiced ball,' and not reflective of his true abilities as a player.