Major League Baseball used two balls again this year, and evidence points to a third

By the time Manfred made that statement (only one type of baseball in use) in July, Wills had already found evidence that at least a handful of those older, livelier "juiced" balls — the ones that were purportedly replaced by the "new manufacturing process" — were still in circulation. Though these juiced balls were produced in 2021 or earlier, according to manufacturing markings, they were in use in 2022; Insider obtained two of them from a June 5 Yankees match against the Tigers.

Over the next few months, Wills and Insider — with which Wills exclusively shared her research — worked together to collect game balls for her to painstakingly deconstruct, weigh, and analyze. What she found was striking: In addition to that small number of older juiced balls and the newer dead balls, Wills found evidence that a third ball was being used at stadiums across the majors.

But perhaps even more interesting than the apparent existence of the third ball itself is where we tended to find it. Though the overwhelming majority of baseballs we obtained were dead, 36 of them fit the bill for what Wills dubbed the "Goldilocks ball" (not too heavy, not too light — but just right). Of those, most were found in one of three situations:

• Postseason games, including the World Series; (and others less important)