What is Spider Tack, and why do MLB pitchers love to cheat by using it?

Jose Quintana (62) raises his glove to catch the ball from the catcher in the third inning as the Oakland Athletics played the Los Angeles Angels at the Coliseum in Oakland, Calif., on Sunday, May 30, 2021.

Illegal substances being used by baseball pitchers are out of hand. Players have said as much, and Major League Baseball has vowed to crack down on doctoring the ball to make it move in wild and crazy ways.

A variety of products and concoctions, some handed down through generations and some original and homemade, are being used, but it’s no longer just about sunscreen mixed with rosin.

It’s about supercharged formulas that dramatically helped alter the balance of power between pitcher and hitter — we’ve come a long way from Gaylord Perry’s Vaseline and KY Jelly — and the most notable of these substances is an extremely sticky, web-like pasty material called Spider Tack.

While waiting for MLB to start policing its own rules on this illegal gunk, here’s what you need to know about Spider Tack:

What’s the genesis of Spider Tack?

Spider Tack was not developed for pitchers. It was developed for power lifters to hold onto 18-wheelers or 747s or city blocks or Atlas stones or whatever it is they hoist in Strongman competitions.

According to the Spider Tack website, the original strength is called competition grade, which works in cold and warm temperatures. It also comes in light strength, which works well in the cold, and heavy strength, which is more adhesive and less webby and works well on the hottest days.

It’s sold on Amazon, a 2.5-ounce container for $19.99 plus shipping. It’s also available in 9 ounces and 24 ounces.

Why do pitchers use Spider Tack?

It’s one of the most effective illegal substances that allows for improved grip and friction, which can markedly accelerate the spin rate of their pitches.

Why is spin rate important?

The higher the spin, the more breaking pitches move and the more velocity pitchers get on their fastballs, which means more swings and misses, more strikeouts and more dominance.

Teams value spin rate data for what it says about performance, and it is measured at all ballparks by rotations per minute through Statcast. Spider Tack can add hundreds of RPMs to a pitch.

Why is Spider Tack illegal in baseball?

Aside from giving pitchers a performance-enhanced advantage by accelerating their spin rate, it’s outlined in the rule book. According to rule 6.02(c)(4), a pitcher shall not “apply a foreign substance of any kind to the ball,” and 6.02 (c)(7) states he shall not “have on his person, or in his possession, any foreign substance.”

What is MLB doing about Spider Tack and other substances?

Stronger enforcement of the rules is expected soon with new guidelines for teams and umpires to follow. We could see umpires checking pitchers more often, leading to ejections and perhaps suspensions.

MLB is following up on a March memo to owners stating that balls will be collected, spin rates will be analyzed and compliance officers will be on site. So far, no punishments have been handed out.

Are pitchers concerned?

Heck, yeah. Four minor-leaguers — including Giants prospect Kai-Wei Teng of High-A Eugene — were suspended for 10 games apiece last week after getting busted using illegal substances on the ball, and major-leaguers don’t want to be next.

Unlike most players in the minors, big-leaguers (and those minor leaguers on the 40-man roster) have a union to protect them. Still, some spin rates have already dropped since the suspensions and news that MLB will be cracking down on foreign substances, a clear sign that pitchers are beginning to worry about getting caught and laying off the illegal stuff.

Are there examples?

Gerrit Cole of the Yankees. He stumbled through an answer to a direct question on whether he had used Spider Tack in a game, coming in the wake of Minnesota’s Josh Donaldson pointing out how Cole’s spin rate dropped in a start against the Rays. That was just after the four minor-leaguers were suspended and it became known that MLB planned to get tough.

Ditto with the Dodgers’ Trevor Bauer. His spin rate rached career highs in his Cy Young Award-winning 2020 season, prompting MLB to inspect balls from his games early in 2021, but it fell to its lowest point of the season in his last two starts, dropping by more than 200 RPMs on his fastball.

Where do pitchers hide Spider Tack?

Like any illegal substance, pretty much anywhere. In the web of the glove. Under the bill of the cap. Along the pant leg. Across the jersey. Inside the belt buckle. On a forearm. You name it.

Isn’t rosin good enough?

Hitters generally want pitchers to have some grip so they don’t get drilled when the ball slips from a pitcher’s hand. Balls don’t enter play fresh out of the box. A rosin bag is placed behind the mound, and it’s legal for pitchers to use it to dry their hands and maintain a better grip. The powdered rosin is extracted from the sap of fir trees and is sticky in nature. Also, before games, every ball is rubbed with mud from the Delaware River to make it less slippery.

But rosin and mud aren’t nearly as effective as Spider Tack or other exorbitantly sticky substances in creating spin, break and speed.

Is it legal to mix rosin with another element?

No, not technically. Consequences are rare because policing the rules mostly has been ignored. For instance, combining rosin and Bullfrog sunscreen, especially the spray-on sunscreen, improves the tackiness to the extent that it’s almost glue-like.

What about other illegal substances besides Spider Tack?

Pine tar is an old favorite, but it’s dirty and noticeable. Batters can use it on their hands and bat for better grip — pine-tar rags are placed in the on-deck circle — but it’s a no-no for pitchers, which certainly doesn’t mean they don’t use it.

Aside from Spider Tack, there’s Pelican Grip Dip, Grip Boost, Tyrus Sticky Grip, Monkey Hands and Cramer Firm Grip, among other substances. Even distilled soda such as Coca-Cola can be used — anything that provides a tacky feel.

Is Spider Tack akin to a performance-enhancing drug?

As far as illegal substances being rampant, yes, because MLB has looked the other way, just like it did with steroids back in the day when players who didn’t juice were at a competitive disadvantage. A major difference is that steroids present serious health risks and are illegal to possess and sell without a prescription.

Not until sacred home run records fell — and Congress forced the issue — did MLB act by introducing a drug policy with cooperation from the union. Now, with strikeout records falling along with batting averages, MLB finally has said that it will crack down on this new form of substance abuse.

John Shea is The San Francisco Chronicle’s national baseball writer. Email: jshea@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @JohnSheaHey