Texas Rangers slugger Joey Gallo says MLB pitching rules to cut down on ‘Wiffle balls’

Joey Gallo isn’t typically sympathetic to MLB pitchers.

But the Texas Rangers slugger feels their pain. At least a little bit.

In the wake of a wild night across the league Tuesday when pitchers were checked, double-checked and checked again by umpires for illegal substances, Gallo understands why the new rule was instituted.

The substances, and they vary and are sometimes homemade, help pitchers increase the spin rate on pitches, which in turn help increase the ball’s movement and spin rate.

On Tuesday night, one of the top pitchers in the league, the Nationals’ Max Scherzer, was forced to undergo at least three checks, including one in the middle of the fourth inning after Phillies manager Joe Girardi seemingly abused his right to request additional checks.

“I think naturally it will help hitters. That’s kind of what it’s designed to do,” Gallo said before the Rangers played the Oakland Atheltics on Wednesday night at Globe Life Field. “You saw how much offenses were struggling. Balls were getting thrown at 95 mph moving like Wiffle balls. I don’t care what kind of athlete you are and what you do for a living, it’s hard to hit that.”

Indeed, hitters and offense across the league have been at historic lows this season. MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred no doubt has one eye on “boring” games while also trying to legitimately clean up a pitcher’s unfair advantage.

Rangers manager Chris Woodward dismissed the notion that the new rules and their enforcement by umpires is going to turn the game into a nightly circus. Scherzer and A’s pitcher Sergio Romo both partially pulled down their pants during inspections Tuesday. It’s unclear if that was necessary for the umpires to do an adequate inspection.

The Nationals thought Girardi was specifically trying to disrupt Scherzer’s rhythm by asking for repeated checks. Woodward said the league strongly warned managers about not doing that.

“[I would ask] only if I had some clear evidence,” he said. “I’m not going out on a suspicion just because I’m seeing something. We got a pretty stern message from the league that if you did do it with those intentions you’d not only get ejected, but suspended.”

There has yet to be an announcement by the league on Girardi being suspended.

Gallo said the sudden enforcement of the rule in the middle of a season is likely rough on those who relied on such substances.

“A rule being implemented halfway into the season and that’s always tough to do and it’s going to hurt some guys, I think, guys who were kind of depending on that,” he said. “It’s been kind of funny to see some of the reactions from some of the pitchers coming off the mound a little bit. It’s going to take some time to get used to that rule, just like any rule that gets implemented in any sport.”

In the meantime, however, Gallo thinks it’s good for the game.

“I think it will help offenses and help players put the bat on the ball a little bit more and hit the ball harder and barrel balls up, at the end of the day,” he said. “I think that’s good, a good move for the league. Offense is what people want to see.”