Research suggests MLB used three different baseballs in 2022, possibly aiding Aaron Judge's HR chase

The "Goldilocks" ball, which Wills described as "not too heavy, not too light - but just right," saw use primarily in the postseason and during the All-Star Game and Home Run Derby. 

But, suspiciously, of the 36 "Goldilocks" balls obtained, the only recorded instance of their use during regular season contests came from New York Yankees' games. 

Among the balls sampled, nearly all were specially marked with commemorative stamps by MLB, except 20. Nine balls were gathered from several playoff rounds, while the remaining 11 came from Yankees' games. 

While Davis admits nothing about the data ties any of Judge's 62 home runs to "Goldilocks" balls, sources confirmed baseball would know if he did. 

"The league not only directs where its balls are sent, it also knows which boxes its game compliance monitors approve and use before each game starts," Davis wrote. 

The news is troubling, especially since MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said in July that all baseballs used during the season were consistent and made under the league's "new manufacturing process."  

While a statement from an MLB spokesperson called Wills' research "wholly inaccurate and just plain wrong," it seems baseball, not unfamiliar with scandal, has entangled itself in yet another, which is bound to gather more and more attention in the coming days.