MLB: Three factors contributing to increased home run rates

Concerned about juiced balls in MLB? Well, here are three other factors that could be contributing to increased home run rates in baseball.

As of Thursday, August 29, 2019, there have been 5591 home runs hit in the 2019 MLB season. This already ranks as the fourth season all-time in terms of home runs hit and is exactly six more home runs than were hit in all of 2018.

The all-time single-season home run record belongs to the 2017 season, where big leaguers managed to hit a staggering 6105 home runs combined.

All of this despite losing two of baseball’s biggest sluggers in Giancarlo Stanton, who hasn’t played since June, and Aaron Judge, who missed to months of the season.

Players like Derek Dietrich who in just 102 games this season has set a career-high in home runs (19). His previous high took place last season, when he hit 16 home runs in 149 games.

There’s also Ketel Marte, who in 126 games this season has already exceeded the number of home runs (28) he hit in the last THREE seasons — 345 games — combined. And don’t forget about Tommy La Stella who in just 78 games this season has more home runs (16) than in his previous FIVE seasons — 10 home runs in 396 games — combined.

All of this has left people wondering if baseballs are juiced. According to a piece that appeared on USA Today, now that the same baseball’s used in MLB games are being used in the minors, there’s finally some evidence that proves that there is something different about the MLB balls.

In fact, according to the piece, “the home run rate at the Class AAA level has leaped by nearly 50%” this season alone.

This has left us wondering, however, if there could possibly be something else going on; some other factors that are contributing to the increased home run rate in baseball this 2019 MLB season.