Inside The Pinstripes

Former Yankees Outfielder Exposes MLB

The former New York Yankees outfielder is letting the world know of one change the MLB has made.

Noah Strackbein

Jun 11, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates designated hitter Andrew McCutchen (22) rounds the bases after hitting a home run against the Miami Marlins during the fifth inning at PNC Park. The home run was his 241st and putting him ahead of Roberto Clemente on the Pirates all-time home run list with 241. Mandatory Credit: Philip G. Pavely-Imagn Images
Jun 11, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates designated hitter Andrew McCutchen (22) rounds the bases after hitting a home run against the Miami Marlins during the fifth inning at PNC Park. The home run was his 241st and putting him ahead of Roberto Clemente on the Pirates all-time home run list with 241. Mandatory Credit: Philip G. Pavely-Imagn Images / Philip G. Pavely-Imagn Images
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The New York Yankees are in the midst of a losing streak they cannot wait to get out of. But the MLB world is talking about something different, and it was started by a former Yankees outfielder.

Andrew McCutchen decided to expose the MLB for a change no one knew was happening. The former Yankees outfielder and current Pittsburgh Pirates star let everyone know on X, formerly known as Twitter, that the baseballs the league uses are different this season compared to years past.

"I was told by a rep for MLB that the balls are indeed different this year," McCutchen wrote. "They stated 'higher seams' which produces more drag on baseball, causing baseballs to not travel as far as they should. When asked why, I was told 'every baseball is hand sewn so no ball is the same.'

"When I asked if there is something that can be done about correcting the current performance of this years baseball, I was told there was 'nothing' that can be done about it this season BUT, they are 'working hard on getting to the bottom of why the seams are higher.' So, yea you’re not wrong Ben."

McCutchen has hit over 2,000 balls in his career, so if anyone was going to notice a difference, it was going to be him.

It's unknown if the MLB knew this change was going to happen or if the league was just as surprised as the players. But with names like McCutchen, Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and many others becoming dominant at the plate over time, maybe the league is trying to combat those who are taking over games with their batting skills.

Scoring is down this season, but just slightly, dropping from 4.39 runs to 4.32. Home runs are also going backwards going from 1.12 to 1.09, according toBaseball-Reference.

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Noah Strackbein
NOAH STRACKBEIN

Noah Strackbein is a Publisher for On SI, covering the Pittsburgh Steelers since 2019. A Jessup, PA native, Noah attended Point Park University, where he fell in love with the Steel City and everything it has to offer. You can find Noah's work at Steelers On SI and weekdays as the hosts of All Steelers Talk.

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