Tell me why runs are up in college baseball this season.

I would offer three completely different reasons that I think could contribute.

1. More experienced rosters because of the COVID year
2. NIL assisting in keeping existing players in college and incentivizing HS prospects in attending college.
3. The short MLB draft during the COVID year pushing more talented players into the college game until draft eligible.

Dylan Crews is still playing.

You’re leaving out that the called strike zone has shrunk due to post-game umpire reviews. I would be interested in seeing if the number of balls and walks are up.

Also, I should have mentioned that the laxed transfer rules (and the period with no real transfer rules at all) allowed for the big brands to accumulate proven players on one roster. That, with NIL basically making the 11.7 scholarship rule irrelevant, allows teams to put together much more difficult rosters to deal with. I would posit that LSU would not have been able to have Crews, Skenes, and White on the same team, even if we successfully recruited them as high school players because of draft risk and scholarship limitations. None are from Louisiana so no TOPS way around it either.

Do the umpires get docked more for calling a ball a strike than calling a strike a ball?

Yes, but I would further posit for consideration that the pool for top pitcher talent is considerably smaller and the ability to contribute at a high level as a younger player is much more limited. It can be done, but some big HS recruits still need development before they can become a weekend starter for instance. I would say it is easier to accumulate hitters than pitchers. Sunday guys across the game are still, by and large, weak. So that would be my thought on it.

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SEC is grading umpires using trackman now

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SEC ump

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I don't understand number two. How is the ball different his season?

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They changed the seams on the ball. Someone can correct me if I'm wrong but I'm pretty sure they lowered the seams to match the same type of ball the minor leagues use. Taller seams on the baseball allowed the pitchers to have so much control and movement on their pitches.

It’s not just the seams and movement by pitchers. Balls are simply carrying farther. Lowers seams can help that to an extent but not this much. Also, the lowered seams were done years ago.