Baseball Looks Different This Season, But Why?
Baseball fans and casual observers who turned a blind eye to offseason storylines and spring training might be in for a rude awakening when they tune in to opening day on March 30, 2023, and see Major League Baseball’s (MLB) two new rules playing out. What are those rules, they might ask? Beginning in 2023, there is a pitch timer, changes to the shift and to the size of the bases.
Here are common questions these fans will ask and the answers behind them.
WHAT’S THE CLOCK FOR?
The pitch timer, commonly known as the pitch clock, is impossible to miss. The pitch clock was created to speed up the pace of the games, which have long been lauded as too lengthy.
While MLB created more nuance around the pitch clock (nine bullets, to be exact, in their release), there are two must-know components of the clock. One: a pitcher has 15 seconds between pitches to begin their pitching motion if no runners are on base and 20 seconds with runners on base. Two: A pitcher who violates the clock is charged with a ball, and a batter who violates is charged with a strike.
The first player to be found in violation of the pitch clock was San Diego Padres' third baseman, Manny Machado. He was down 0-1 before seeing a pitch, and the Associated Press joked, “Tick, tock, Manny Machado. Better watch that pitch clock.” Machado fell victim to a nuanced part of the rule that states, “Batters must be in the box and alert to the pitcher by the 8-second mark or else be charged with an automatic strike” (MLB).
The pitch clock is already having an impact. According to a tweet by Senior MLB Insider Jeff Passan, the time of spring training games is down 25 minutes on average from last season.
WHAT’S A SHIFT AGAIN, AND WHAT CHANGED?
A shift is a term used to describe the situational defensive realignment of fielders away from their "traditional" starting points (MLB).
Tom Verducci of Sports Illustrated provided great context when he wrote, “Always remember this about shifts: They were designed to turn hard-hit balls into outs” (Sports Illustrated). Shift formations were becoming increasingly untraditional, batting averages were suffering, and the shift became a staple offseason storyline of will-they or won’t-they keep it.
The MLB rule change states, “The defensive team must have a minimum of four players on the infield, with at least two infielders completely on either side of second base. These restrictions are intended to increase the batting average on balls in play, to allow infielders to better showcase their athleticism and to restore more traditional outcomes on batted balls” (MLB).
DON’T FORGET THE BASES
While technically not a rule change, don’t overlook that the size of all bases, with the exception of home plate, increased from 15 inches to 18 inches.
MLB’s reasoning behind the uptick is twofold. One: It will increase stolen bases because it creates a 4.5-inch reduction in the distance between the first and second base and second and third. Second: The hope is that the larger surface area will reduce the collision rate. “Fielders have an extra 3-inch advantage to stay out of harm’s way from the baserunner while receiving throws (MLB).
BASEBALL OF THE FUTURE
This isn’t the baseball of old. Expect these changes to impact regular season games and beyond immediately. May your team’s odds be ever in your favor.