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With all due respect, the amphetamines taken by major league players are far more powerful than any energy drink available to the common public via legal means. Since 1971, amphetamines have been classified as a controlled substance in the U.S. and are completely illegal in many industrialized countries throughout the world.

As far as its standing in baseball, under a MLB policy established in 2007, a positive test result for amphetamine use will result in mandatory additional testing. A second offense triggers a 25-game suspension, and the punishment increases to 80 games for a third failed test.

While the casual fan may not perceive amphetamine use in baseball to be as egregious as the abuse of steroids, the mere fact that MLB has chosen to adopt the policy highlighted above indicates that amphetamines are problematic. Moreover, there are some individuals within the game that believe that it is the crackdown on amphetamines – not steroids, that has impacted the declining offensive numbers in baseball.