Major League Baseball's Dark Past with PEDs: A New Era of Clean Play?
Remember the days when performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) dominated baseball headlines? It seems like a distant memory now. But here's where it gets interesting: MLB has witnessed a dramatic decline in PED suspensions and therapeutic use exemptions (TUEs) over the past few years, signaling a potential shift towards a cleaner game. The 2025 annual report reinforces this trend, leaving us wondering: has baseball finally turned a corner?
Let's rewind to 2005, when Alex Sanchez of the Tampa Bay Rays became the first player suspended under MLB's drug testing policy. That year, 12 players faced suspensions, a number that peaked at 16 during the infamous 2013 Biogenesis scandal, involving high-profile players like Alex Rodriguez and Ryan Braun. And this is the part most people miss: while PEDs will likely always lurk in the shadows of sports, the recent decline in suspensions and TUEs suggests a significant change in baseball's culture.
In 2025, MLB conducted a staggering 11,700 drug tests, including 9,400 urine samples and 2,300 dried blood spot samples for human growth hormone (hGH). Only two tests resulted in suspensions: José Alvarado and Jurickson Profar, both receiving 80-game bans for performance-enhancing substances. But here's the controversial part: is this decline due to stricter policies, better education, or simply more sophisticated methods of evasion? It's a question that sparks debate among fans and experts alike.
Therapeutic Use Exemptions (TUEs) have also seen a sharp decline. In 2025, only 57 TUEs were granted, a 37% drop from 2020. The majority (54) were for ADHD medications, which often contain amphetamine derivatives—a banned substance in MLB. Here's where it gets controversial: while TUEs are intended for legitimate medical needs, the high number of ADHD exemptions in the past raised eyebrows, leading some to question whether players were exploiting the system. The significant reduction in TUEs suggests MLB and the MLB Players Association (MLBPA) have tightened the approval process, but is it enough to prevent abuse?
The table below illustrates the decline in PED suspensions and TUEs from 2020 to 2025, highlighting the progress MLB has made. While it's unlikely we'll ever see a completely PED-free sport, baseball appears cleaner than it has in decades. But we have to ask: is this the result of genuine cultural change, or are we just scratching the surface of a deeper issue? What do you think? Share your thoughts in the comments—let’s spark a conversation about the future of fairness in baseball.
