When MLB decided to crack down on the use of foreign substances last season, it was met with plenty of backlash. Pitchers worried that the adjustment from using something to help grip the ball to using nothing would be a big issue. There were also questions about how that would change the long-term health of arms, especially since pitchers felt like they needed to grip the balls differently.
But despite that backlash, MLB is going hard into the crackdown again this year. Tom Verducci of Sports Illustrated reported this week that the league sent a memo to teams to let them know the substance checks would become more rigorous this year.