Verlander maligns 'ADD version of baseball,' longs for return of fundamentals

One of Major League Baseball's most vocal detractors of the juiced ball is at it again, as Houston Astros ace Justin Verlander weighed in on the type of series he'd like to see against the New York Yankees.

"I think the ball incredibly dictates the game that's being played on the field that fans witness," Verlander told reporters on Saturday, including Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle. "I think this year is a great example of this. Stolen base opportunities were down, moving the guy over ... Trying to go from first to third, trying to stretch a single to a double, they slowly worked their way out of the game this season, those small victories that you see throughout the course of a ball game because every single batter in the lineup can go deep the next pitch."

During the 2019 season, MLB hitters combined to hit the most home runs in history, breaking the previous record set in 2017. Even further, only five qualified hitters failed to reach the 10-homer plateau this year, and a whopping 53 different players collected at least 30 dingers.

The Yankees - the Astros' ALCS opponent - became the second team in MLB history to combine for 300 home runs in a single season, joining the 2019 Minnesota Twins.

"I would like to see some of that small ball come back into play," Verlander continued. "I don't want to call it small ball, that's the wrong terminology. Everybody thinks of small ball they think of bunting. I think of the little things; taking the extra bases, using athleticism as a team to get extra runs.

"You look at the course of an inning, we're almost playing an ADD version of baseball right now, where it's these huge elation moments."

A recent study from Rob Arthur of Baseball Prospectus suggested the baseball being used in the playoffs differs slightly from the one used during the regular season, resulting in fewer home runs relative to comparable exit velocities and launch angles.

Major League Baseball was quick to deny the report, issuing a statement that the "balls that are used in the postseason are pulled from the same batches as balls used in the regular season," and only the addition of the postseason stamp differentiates it from others.

Over 10 2/3 innings this postseason, Verlander has allowed two home runs while striking out 13. The 36-year-old is expected to next take the hill for Game 2 on Sunday.