MLB crackdown on sticky stuff begins next week, and Yankees, rest of the league are on notice

BUFFALO, N.Y. — As if the Yankees didn’t have enough to overcome, now they will have their pitchers — and every other team’s pitcher — undergoing inspections for illegal substances starting next week.

MLB announced on Tuesday that it will eject and suspend pitchers caught with any foreign substances for 10 days with pay. Umpires will be charged with regularly inspecting pitchers, even if opposing managers don’t request inspections. The crackdown will begin on June 21. Repeat offenders will be hit with escalating punishment.

“After an extensive process of repeated warnings without effect, gathering information from current and former players and others across the sport, two months of comprehensive data collection, listening to our fans and thoughtful deliberation, I have determined that new enforcement of foreign substances is needed to level the playing field,” MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement.

“I understand there’s a history of foreign substances being used on the ball, but what we are seeing today is objectively far different, with much tackier substances being used more frequently than ever before. It has become clear that the use of foreign substance has generally morphed from trying to get a better grip on the ball into something else — an unfair competitive advantage that is creating a lack of action and an uneven playing field.”

The Yankees, who are trying to pull out of a nosedive this week with a three-game series against the Blue Jays in Buffalo, were caught in the center of this growing controversy last week when Gerrit Cole was called out by Josh Donaldson. The Twins slugger implied that Cole had seen a significant drop in the rotations per minute on his fastball after word spread that MLB had suspended four minor leagues for using sticky stuff.

Monday, Corey Kluber’s name was added to the list of pitchers under suspicion when Sports Illustrated named him as one of the pitchers that former Angels clubhouse attendant Bobby “Bubba” Harkins claimed he had made an illegal sticky substance for in the past. Harkins, who was fired in 2020 and whose lawsuit against the team was dismissed in January, also claimed he had shipped his special mixture directly to Yankee Stadium.

Since the news broke of the four suspended minor league pitchers, offensive numbers across the league have improved. That includes the Yankees, who slashed .228/.314/.372 with 540 strikeouts and 227 walks over 2,137 plate appearances in the first 58 games. In the last six games, since the news on June 5, they have hit .280/.336/.486 with 58 strikeouts and 22 walks over 284 plate appearances.

The pitching across the game has also seen a change. Yankee pitchers posted a 3.28 ERA with 161 walks and 568 strikeouts in 516 1/3 innings pitched over those first 58 games. Since June 5, they have a 6.06 ERA and allowed 15 walks and struck out 49 over 62 1/3 innings pitched.

While pitchers have used foreign substances, predominantly sunscreen and rosin to improve their grip, MLB has largely ignored it.

But recently, pitchers have pushed the limits with industrial adhesives like Spider Tack. Instead of just getting a grip, hitters and the league say it is increasing spin rate and therefore tamping down offense.

“MLB recently completed extensive testing, including testing by third-party researchers, to determine whether the use of foreign substances has a material impact on performance,” MLB said. “That research concluded that foreign substances significantly increase the spin rate and movement of the baseball, providing pitchers who use these substances with an unfair competitive advantage over hitters and pitchers who do not use foreign substances, and results in less action on the field.”

Under the league’s new plan, all foreign substances, expect rosin bags, will result in a suspension.

“Pitchers have been advised not to apply sunscreen during night games after the sun has gone down or when playing in stadiums with closed roofs,” MLB explained.

Umpires are expected to be able to check pitchers’ uniforms, caps and gloves for illegal substances.

Cole had initially been named in Harkins’ lawsuit. It cited a text message to Harkins that read, “Hey Bubba, it’s Gerrit Cole, I was wondering if you could help me out with this sticky situation. We don’t see you until May, but we have some road games in April that are in cold weather places. The stuff I had last year seizes up when it gets cold.”

The SI report, however, went on to report further communication between Cole and Harkins discussing mixtures. It ended with: “Thanks Bubba you (the) man.”

Cole, who will start against the Blue Jays on Wednesday, has repeatedly declined to address his connection to Harkins. He also refused to answer if he had used Spider Tack.

“I don’t quite know how to answer that, to be honest,” Cole said this month when asked if he had used Spider Tack. “There are customs and practices that have been passed down from older players to younger players to the last generation of players to this generation of players and I think there are some things that are certainly out of bounds in that regard, and I’ve stood pretty firm in terms of that, in terms of the communication between our peers and whatnot.”