Sarris: Does pine tar increase a pitcher’s spin rate?

From SABR member Eno Sarris at The Athletic on May 1, 2018:

It’s an open secret inside the game: Pine tar, and other grip substances, can help a pitcher increase their spin rate. I’ve been asked not to write about it by more than a few pitchers, but at this point there are two pressing reasons to have this discussion.

One is that Trevor Bauer recently pointed out that Gerrit Cole’s spin rate is up dramatically with his new team. The Cleveland righty made mention of the link between grip substances and spin in a response to Driveline Baseball’s Kyle Boddy fielding a question about the Astros spin in general.

Read the full article (subscription required): https://theathletic.com/337974/2018/05/01/does-pine-tar-increase-your-spin-rate-and-are-the-astros-all-over-that-trevor-bauer-seems-to-think-so/