What is rosin in baseball and examining its legality in the MLB in light of the league’s crackdown on pitchers and its bag rules regarding sticky substances
In the early goings of the 2023 MLB season, New York Mets pitcher Max Scherzer was ejected from his start against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday, April 19, after the umpire found something on his glove and hand during a sticky substance check.
Baseball has clamped down with strict sticky material restrictions in MLB in order to essentially assist batters who were facing insane spin rates and pitching, maybe as a result of some assistance that is now outlawed by the league.
However, there is some misunderstanding in this instance regarding rosin. Scherzer blamed the stickiness on rosin in an obvious attempt to justify himself.
Explained what is rosin substance, MLB bag rules, is it allowed in baseball as Max Scherzer gets ejected
Max Scherzer is the 3rd pitcher to get ejected for foreign substance since checks were put in place …
All three have been checks done by Umpire Phil Cuzzi pic.twitter.com/OQaElA7dZW
— Baseball Doesn't Exist (@BaseballDoesnt) April 19, 2023
Many baseball fans were moved by this to inquire as to whether rosin is outlawed in Major League Baseball and, more importantly, what rosin is.
What is rosin in baseball?
You may be familiar with the rosin bag from watching innumerable baseball games where the pitcher would throw the bag onto the mound. Rosin powder, a sticky substance created from fir tree sap that helps pitchers avoid sweat and moisture from making it challenging to retain a firm grip on the baseball, is included in the white bag.
The only “sticky substance” that MLB has legally legalised is thought to be this.
Is rosin allowed in MLB?
As was already said, the only sticky substance allowed in MLB is rosin.
For players to be able to hold the ball normally and keep total control of their pitches rather than just raising spin rate, which the regulations were intended to forbid, the powder’s ability to manage sweat on the mound is crucial.
But there are specific recommendations that apply to rosin.
A letter sent to MLB teams and umpires in 2022 states that due to the league’s focus on sticky substances, pitchers are allowed to use the rosin bag on their hands, wrists, and forearms.
However, they are “prohibited from applying it to their gloves and uniforms, nor are they allowed to combine rosin with any other substance, such as sunscreen.”