Chipper Jones awaits pitcher regression as MLB's banned substances ban begins: 'You had fair warning'

As Major League Baseball’s honest-to-goodness, we’re-gonna-enforce-it ban on foreign substances takes hold across the big leagues on Monday, one Hall of Famer will have his popcorn ready, eagerly awaiting a market correction in the pitcher-hitter economy.

“We’ve got guys who are pretty elite pitchers right now that two or three years ago, were very mediocre,” Chipper Jones, the Atlanta Braves icon and 2018 Hall inductee, told USA TODAY Sports. “I’m all for developing and improving, but they’re doing it by leaps and bounds.

“I understand the backlash of it happening in the middle of the season, but obviously Major League Baseball felt it was pretty important to address it now. They’ve given guys a week to 10 days – that’s two starts to get off of it. You’ve had fair warning. I’d be interested to see if some of these pitchers revert back to the way they were a couple years ago.

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