Major League Baseball announced a huge set of rule changes on Friday, which will go into effect for the 2023 season.
The biggest of the group are the institution of the pitch clock and a ban on defensive shifts. Pitchers will now have 15 seconds to make a pitch when the bases are empty and 20 seconds when runners are on. Failing to follow this rule will result in an automatic ball. Hitters will now also get just one timeout per plate appearance and are required to be in the batter’s box. The hitter must be “alert” at the eight-second mark of the pitch clock. Failing to do that results in an automatic strike for the hitter.
The pitch clock has been in use during the minor league season this year and has drastically decreased game times. According to MLB, the average time of a nine-inning game has gone from three hours and four minutes to two hours and 38 minutes. Pickoff attempts and mound step-offs are also going to be limited for pitchers. Each disengagement from the rubber resets the pitch clock and pitchers only get two per plate appearance. That number resets if a runner advances and pitchers can try for a third attempt in the same plate appearance, but it has to result in an out otherwise it is counted as a balk.
On defense, teams will be required to have two infielders on each side of second base now, with none of them allowed to set up in the outfield. All infielders must have both feet on the dirt, eliminating the very common practice of stationing someone in shallow right field when a left-handed pull hitter is batting.
Infielders will also no longer be permitted to switch sides unless there is a substitution. In recent years, shortstops and third basemen were sometimes moved to the other side of second base in certain alignments. They will no longer be allowed to do that without being moved to a new position in the defensive lineup. The shift rule also kills the four-outfielder look, a strategy that has become very popular against fly ball hitters. Defensive alignment will be a reviewable play. If replay determines that a team was in an illegal defense, the hitting team can either accept the outcome of the play or take an automatic ball.
The final change isn’t as notable as the other two, but it should still have a bit of an impact. The physical bases will increase from 15 square inches to 18. The larger bases, which have been used in the minors this season, aim to decrease collisions and increase the incentive to steal bases. By making the bases larger, the distance between first and second base as well as second and third base will be four-and-a-half inches shorter.
The changes were voted on by the league’s competition committee, which is made up of six ownership-level representatives, four players and one umpire. The vote was not unanimous, according to ESPN, as the players (Tampa Bay’s Tyler Glasnow, St. Louis’ Jack Flaherty, San Francisco’s Austin Slater and Toronto’s Whit Merrifield) voted against the pitch clock and shift rules.
In a statement released by the league, Commissioner Rob Manfred said, “These steps are designed to improve pace of play, increase action, and reduce injuries, all of which are goals that have overwhelming support among our fans.
“Throughout the extensive testing of recent years, Minor League personnel and a wide range of fans — from the most loyal to casual observers — have recognized the collective impact of these changes in making the game even better and more enjoyable. We appreciate the participation of the representatives of the Major League Players and Umpires in this process.”
