MLB considering pristine white baseballs to try and combat issue of pitchers using sticky substances

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Pristine white baseballs that would not require rubbing are under consideration by Major League Baseball as a way to solve the issue of pitchers using sticky substances for better grip.

"We continue to work with the people at Dow Chemical on developing a tacky ball," Commissioner Ron Manfred told the Baseball Writers' Association of America on Tuesday. "It would literally eliminate all — well, not all — but many of the variables in the current process. It would come out of a sealed foil pouch at the ballpark. No individual mudding."

MLB executive vice president Morgan Sword said the balls were tested in the first half of this season in the Double-A Southern League. The balls would retain colored stitches.

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A detailed view of official major league baseballs seen on the field prior to the start of a major league game between the New York Yankees and Oakland Athletics at RingCentral Coliseum on June 28, 2023 in Oakland, California.  (Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)

"Like everything in baseball, when you inch towards a solution, you figure out another problem," Manfred said. "The baseball, if we get there with the Dow people, would be a pearl, right? A pure white baseball. I think if you take hitters and pitchers out front here and ask ‘em what they think of a pure white baseball, you’re going to find out that it’s a pretty controversial topic. So not only do we have the science that we’re continuing to work on but we’re going to have to get over that sort of policy issue of: Is a pure white baseball a good thing?".

A minimum 13 dozen baseballs are prepared for each game. Humidors