The Home Run Ball is back in a big way this year in Major League Baseball. In fact, there have been more home runs hit this year than any other in the history of the MLB.
This has me wondering, have steroids, human growth hormone, and other Performance Enhancing Drugs (PEDs) made their way back into America's favorite pastime? Before we take a look at the current seasons leaders, let me remind you of the past.
Back in the mid 90’s, there was a baseball strike that shut down the season. Fans became alienated and the sport lost millions of viewers. It wasn't until the great Home Run races of Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa that put the MLB back on the map. Every at bat was must see TV. That was followed by the most prolific Home Run hitter of All Time, Barry Bonds. We all knew these guys were using PEDs but we just didn't care. It was amazing to watch the ball get crushed and fly out of the stadiums.
But after some great years for the MLB, Jose Canseco wrote a book and told all. And he knew A LOT. The entire era is now called the steroid era. And it wasn't just the batters using PEDs. Roger Clemens was also busted as he put up insane pitching numbers as he aged.
The MLB cleaned up its players and enforced strict testing. The Home Run numbers dropped drastically over the last 10 years. But not this year. The Home Run Ball is again going crazy. Does this mean that PEDs are back? I say yes. The top 2 Home Run hitters this year are Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge. Both players are built like NFL defensive ends. Stanton has 55 homers and Judge has 44 with several games left. But guess what, I don't care. I watch sports for fun. It's a release of the day to day stress in life. And I like offense. The Home Run races of the late 90’s were an incredibly exciting time. And I hope we are set for a new home run race. Long live the Home Run Ball. What do you think? Cheers!