Everyone loves a good conspiracy theory, none more so than sports fans. So, Bryce Harper’s claim this week that the Home Run Derby baseballs were “juiced” sent conspiracy theorists into overdrive, especially after Major League Baseball denied it.
As usual, baseballs were flying out of the park at monstrous distances during the annual MLB Home Run Derby. According to Bryce Harper, the reason why is juiced baseballs.
When asked by the New York Post how he knew this, all he would say was, “I’m not going to answer that. But they’re juiced. Everybody knows it. They do it every year.”
Naturally, MLB claims that the baseballs used in the Home Run Derby received no special treatment before the contest and were identical to those used throughout the regular season.
Most people would react to this news with a shrug, figuring, “Of course, the baseballs are ‘juiced’ for the Home Run Derby.” Most people, however, are not conspiracy theorists.
Not that there isn’t reason for skepticism. The debate about whether or not MLB tweaks the baseballs to either increase or decrease run production has been going on for just about forever.
Heck, in 2019, Justin Verlander went on a rant claiming MLB is turning the game into a “f—— joke” by using juiced baseballs.
“They’ve been using juiced balls in the Home Run Derby forever. They know how to do it. It’s not coincidence,” Verlander said during his rant. “I find it really hard to believe that Major League Baseball owns Rawlings and just coincidentally the balls become juiced.”
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred denied that they had altered the baseballs back then, too.
Fire up the onspiracy theory machine
Bryce Harper bringing it up again, however, coupled with Major League Baseball’s denial, has reignited the conspiracy online.
“They were obviously ‘juiced’ and I think they started throwing in ‘juiced’ baseballs about 2 weeks before the All Star Break. HR totals seemed to be pretty high over those 2 weeks,” read one comment online.
“MLB would say that. This is also the league that changes the balls whenever they want based off the match up of the teams to create more action in said games,” another fan wrote.
“And according to Phillies fans Jordan Walker’s last round had the juiciest juiced balls possible…” read another comment, which leads to a whole other conspiracy theory.