St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Miles Mikolas disagrees with New York Mets right-hander Chris Bassitt's concerns that different baseballs are the reason pitchers are hitting more batters in 2022.
"It's not the ball's fault. Take some responsibility for your actions," Mikolas said Wednesday, according to Jeff Jones of BND.com.
Bassitt's comments came after pitchers combined to hit five players during Tuesday's game between the Cardinals and Mets. The veteran hurler plunked one batter.
Mikolas said he hasn't dealt with any of the issues Bassitt noted about the balls. The latter said the balls - which he described as "bad" - feel different in every inning and outing.
The Cardinals hurler added that Bassitt might have struggled with control because it was a cold night, and he didn't have enough sweat to mix with rosin.
"If you're not comfortable with a ball, don't throw it. If you toss back 10 in a row, maybe that sends a message," Mikolas said.
Mikolas also wondered aloud if pitchers' reliance on sticky substances, which MLB cracked down on last season, has caused them to stop rubbing balls to increase tack and friction for better control, according to Jones.
The league introduced new balls this season in an attempt to reduce the number of "three true outcomes" (home runs, strikeouts, walks) while creating more game action with more balls put in play, according to The Athletic's Eno Sarris and Ken Rosenthal.
