Major League Baseball announced three major rule changes for the 2023 Season which are coming into effect in the current Spring Training games. The most important and contentious of the changes by far is the addition of a pitch clock. The pitch clock could completely change the game. There will be a 15 second timer between pitches, a 20 second timer when there are runners on base, and a 30 second timer between batters. There are also limits on the number of times a pitcher can attempt to pick off baserunners. If the pitcher is not in his pitching motion before the time expires, a ball will be called. Batters who are not in the batter’s box in time are given a strike. 

It’s no secret that average Americans don’t have the same interest in baseball that they once did. The main complaint of many is with the slow, sometimes tedious nature of baseball games. Even I, a complete lover of the game, get frustrated with the flow of baseball games. What people feel is corroborated by the numbers. Last season, the time between batters was longer than ever. The length of games was also at its peak. The average time for a game was three hours and seven minutes, an absurdly long chunk of time to expect someone to watch a baseball game. 

The issue, more than just the length of the game, was the pace of it. An incredibly large amount of time was spent not playing baseball. There was way too much pre-pitch activity happening, leading to a slow, sluggish feeling. 

A change has been coming and it’s easy to see why MLB implemented the rules change. These rules have been in effect in the minor leagues for a few years and the length of game has shortened by around 30 minutes. So far, Spring Training games have seen a similar decrease in game length. 

Although there was a consensus that changes were necessary, not everyone is pleased with the changes made. Baseball purists, which can include former and current players, are the main group frustrated with the rule changes. They argue that the changes take strategy and careful preparation out of the game. Pitchers shake off a sign from the catcher, waiting to find the perfect pitch selection. With the pitch clock, there will be less shaking off by the pitcher, and pitchers will be less able to make adjustments. 

Timing is a key part of baseball, especially for pitchers. In the past, pitchers have been able to vary the time of their delivery to keep the hitter off balance and make it harder for a runner to get a good jump and steal. Now, when the clock is winding down, the runner and the hitter know the pitch is coming and can take advantage. 

Hitters will also have to adapt to the new rules. Hitters also play with timing to get into a pitcher’s head. They step out of the batter’s box and do what they can to rattle the pitcher. However, hitters are now only allowed one step out during an at bat. Hitters also love to do a lot of pre-pitch motions. Some motions are superstitions and some are subtle movements batters do to try to get their swing and body right. Usually when a player is up to bat they also do a lot of cleat retying, walking around the box, and practice swings. I understand the argument that the beauty of the game comes from its intricate nature but, for a viewer, that intricate nature leads to a lot of dead air that should be gone now. 

Gamesmanship won’t leave baseball. Pitchers and hitters are already trying to find ways to use the pitch clock to make things more difficult for opponents. Pitchers have already tried to find advantages through the one step out per at bat rule. Pitchers are trying to bombard batters as soon as they get back into the box and the ump allows them to continue. The pitch clock procedure is clearly not perfect. There still are kinks to be worked out. Spring Training has shown that there will be an adjustment period for umpires and players, but the pitch clock has already had an effect, significantly decreasing downtime and the length of games and making the games more watchable and enjoyable.

Major League Baseball announced three major rule changes for the 2023 Season which are coming into effect in the current Spring Training games. The most important and contentious of the changes by far is the addition of a pitch clock. The pitch clock could completely change the game. There will be a 15 second timer between pitches, a 20 second timer when there are runners on base, and a 30 second timer between batters. There are also limits on the number of times a pitcher can attempt to pick off baserunners. If the pitcher is not in his pitching motion before the time expires, a ball will be called. Batters who are not in the batter’s box in time are given a strike. 

It’s no secret that average Americans don’t have the same interest in baseball that they once did. The main complaint of many is with the slow, sometimes tedious nature of baseball games. Even I, a complete lover of the game, get frustrated with the flow of baseball games. What people feel is corroborated by the numbers. Last season, the time between batters was longer than ever. The length of games was also at its peak. The average time for a game was three hours and seven minutes, an absurdly long chunk of time to expect someone to watch a baseball game. 

The issue, more than just the length of the game, was the pace of it. An incredibly large amount of time was spent not playing baseball. There was way too much pre-pitch activity happening, leading to a slow, sluggish feeling. 

A change has been coming and it’s easy to see why MLB implemented the rules change. These rules have been in effect in the minor leagues for a few years and the length of game has shortened by around 30 minutes. So far, Spring Training games have seen a similar decrease in game length. 

Although there was a consensus that changes were necessary, not everyone is pleased with the changes made. Baseball purists, which can include former and current players, are the main group frustrated with the rule changes. They argue that the changes take strategy and careful preparation out of the game. Pitchers shake off a sign from the catcher, waiting to find the perfect pitch selection. With the pitch clock, there will be less shaking off by the pitcher, and pitchers will be less able to make adjustments. 

Timing is a key part of baseball, especially for pitchers. In the past, pitchers have been able to vary the time of their delivery to keep the hitter off balance and make it harder for a runner to get a good jump and steal. Now, when the clock is winding down, the runner and the hitter know the pitch is coming and can take advantage. 

Hitters will also have to adapt to the new rules. Hitters also play with timing to get into a pitcher’s head. They step out of the batter’s box and do what they can to rattle the pitcher. However, hitters are now only allowed one step out during an at bat. Hitters also love to do a lot of pre-pitch motions. Some motions are superstitions and some are subtle movements batters do to try to get their swing and body right. Usually when a player is up to bat they also do a lot of cleat retying, walking around the box, and practice swings. I understand the argument that the beauty of the game comes from its intricate nature but, for a viewer, that intricate nature leads to a lot of dead air that should be gone now. 

Gamesmanship won’t leave baseball. Pitchers and hitters are already trying to find ways to use the pitch clock to make things more difficult for opponents. Pitchers have already tried to find advantages through the one step out per at bat rule. Pitchers are trying to bombard batters as soon as they get back into the box and the ump allows them to continue. The pitch clock procedure is clearly not perfect. There still are kinks to be worked out. Spring Training has shown that there will be an adjustment period for umpires and players, but the pitch clock has already had an effect, significantly decreasing downtime and the length of games and making the games more watchable and enjoyable.