For what it's worth, Jeff Passan mentioned today (and with the caveat of whoever knows for sure from a distance):
Quote:
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Look, I can’t ever say definitively anyone isn’t using. But the numbers back up what Jacob deGrom’s teammates say: He doesn’t. There’s usually a significant jump in 4-seam spin rate with pitchers who regularly do, and deGrom’s velocity-to-spin ratio is pretty much league average. Jacob deGrom’s year-over-year increase in spin rate corresponds with his gains in velocity. Also ... foreign substances don’t help guys throw harder. They’re used to juice the spin on pitches.
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When I posted the charts earlier, that's just the spin rate. I didn't realize there is a correlation between velocity and spin, and apparently that rise in spin just matches (from Passan's knowledge) matches what would be expected with the velocity deGrom has gained.