Late Monday, with approximately a week until pitchers and catchers begin to report for Spring Training, Eno Sarris and Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic published a bombshell piece announcing that MLB planned to deaden the baseball for the 2021 season:
Fewer home runs might be hit this year in baseball, sacrifices on the path to efficiency and standardization. Multiple sources confirm the ball’s construction will change slightly, and five more teams are adding humidors for ball storage — all parts of MLB’s attempt to reduce the wild recent year-to-year swings in home run rates league-wide.