In the absence of an MLB investigation, Hardball Times writer Bill Petti analyzed publicly available Statcast spin-rate data from 2018. According to his previously unpublished research, the team with the biggest average intra-inning drop-off in four-seam fastball Bauer Units between the first and last four-seamer of an inning was—plot twist—the Indians, at 2.6 standard deviations above the mean. The Astros ranked 10th, although admittedly Petti’s method wouldn’t detect more regular application between pitches, and it’s impossible to isolate the impact of sweat on mph/rpm rates within an
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