MLB will be cracking down on pitchers and the materials they use to get a grip on the ball:

Chris Young, recently elevated by MLB to a senior VP to oversee on-field operations and umpire development, has been touring camps in Arizona and Florida to deliver the message that Rule 8.02 is going to be enforced this year, The Post has learned. That is the edict that deals with pitchers taking foreign substances to the mound and applying them to the ball.

Over the years a gentlemen’s agreement has evolved throughout MLB in which teams don’t challenge each other about sticky substances that pitchers deploy — such as pine tar or thick sunscreens — because so many pitchers are using something beyond the legal rosin bag. The stated reason is that the balls are slick, especially in cold weather or dry environments such as Coors Field, plus they are inconsistently rubbed down in the pre-game with approved mud designed to take the sheen off the balls. Even hitters are generally comfortable with the substances that pitchers use since they want especially the hard throwers to control their pitches to lessen the dangers in the batter’s box.

NYPost.com

The enforcement is meant to counter pitchers who are using the substances to spin the ball at a higher rate. The article contains a lot of good information, from how difficult it will be for umpires to make a decision (it’s hot and sunny, he has to wear sun screen) to how MLB is trying to develop a ball that is always tacky enough to provide a good grip.