Subscribe
Follow Us
Tobacco, as unhealthy as it may be, is part of the history of baseball. However, players are beginning to turn to nicotine pouches, notably ZYN, as tobacco bans become more common, per FOX Sports' Jake Mintz.
Smokeless tobacco has grown in popularity over the years, and the MLB world has felt the impact. Pitchers JT Brubaker of the Pittsburgh Pirates and DL Hall of the Baltimore Orioles discussed the topic with FOX Sports.
“I usually do two pouches at a time.” Brubaker said. “The Zyns are smaller [than what I’m used to], so two simulates the feel of a big [Copenhagen] pinch.”
“I used Zyns to get off [dip].” Hall said. “They’re still definitely addictive because they have nicotine, but they don’t have the same harmful chemicals that tobacco has.”
Article Continues Below
ZYN markets itself as a nicotine alternative. It is only intended for adults who are 21 and over.
Some players will have a difficult time moving away from tobacco. Back in 2016, MLB began looking to implement stricter rules on tobacco use. Sonny Gray, who was with the Oakland Athletics at the time, admitted that some players may have a tough time in that regard. Although, Gray himself said he didn't use tobacco, per MLB.com.
“There were definitely guys in this clubhouse who were upset by it,” Gray said in 2016. “I've never used it, but I know some guys are more comfortable with it.”
MLB has changed a number of rules over the years. In 2023 alone, the league has implemented a pitch clock, bigger bases, and they banned shifts. And now another change is clearly happening around the league, as players begin to favor ZYN over tobacco.
