MLB rules changes for next year

[The Feral Slasher]

https://www.mlb.com/news/mlb-2023-rule-changes-pitch-timer-larger-bases-shifts

[Kevin Seitzer]

I was not a fan of the pitch clock idea until I went to a minor league game this year and experienced in person. Now I am 100% on board, and it can't come quick enough.

[GwynnInTheHall]

Are they at all considering a challenge system for balls and strikes?

[Ken]

I was not a fan of the pitch clock idea until I went to a minor league game this year and experienced in person. Now I am 100% on board, and it can't come quick enough.

I see what you did there.

[madducks]

"The bases, which traditionally have been 15 inches square, will instead be 18 inches square."

"This change will create a 4 1/2-inch reduction in the distance between first and second base and between second base and third."

Looks like the stolen base guys are going to have more value in 2023.

[Kevin Seitzer]

Are they at all considering a challenge system for balls and strikes?

That's being tested at one of the minor league levels this year.

[rhd]

Enforcement of a "pitch" clock is LONG overdue. For years, it's been shown to significantly shorten the duration of games in the minor leagues (the article says it reduces it by 26 minutes, which is a lot more even than the last time I looked). But there may be some issues re: its implementation.

In the last week, I've been to both an MLB game and a minor league game and there were stark differences re: the pitch clock. Because of the impending rule change, I tried to pay particular attention to it at each game, altho this is not always easy to do if you want to keep up w the action in the actual game.

In the MLB game, there were lots of irregularities w the clock. Often it started late or early and there were lots of times where it was not displayed at all. Also, it generally didnt reset when the batter stepped out. This was typical to how the pitch clock has been handled at all the MLB games I've been to since they started displaying it.

At the minor league, it was handled much better. Times for the various events have varied greatly over the years and this year I saw that they have changed again. The time to deliver a pitch during an AB is now 14 seconds (will be 15 secs in MLB), except when a runner is on base and them it's 18 seconds (will be 20 secs in MLB). There's 30 seconds for mound visits by coaches, altho I noticed at least once that for a catcher visit the clock did not start. It's 30 seconds also between batters (same for MLB) and it's 2:15 between innings and for pitching changes (the article didnt say what this will be for MLB). The clock did reset when the batter stepped out and it seemed to start again after the batter has only 1 foot in the box. It also reset when time was called. For the pitch, it seemed to start when the pitcher got the ball back and got near the rubber, not necessarily until he was actually on it. For the mound visits, it seemed to start when the coach got a few steps over the baseline, not right when he stepped over it or when he reached the mound. For the between innings clock, it was hard to remember to observe when it started but it seemed to start about when all the opposing players had crossed the baseline. There's not a separate clock for the batter so I guess the umpire will have to use his discretion on whether a batter takes too long to step in the box, like the 3-second rule in basketball. The clock was located just left of CF just above the wall and I assume that it will be located in a similar place in MLB.

So it will be key to have clock operators who consistently start it at the correct time and reset it when appropriate. Sometimes, the pitch clock seemed to start early, before the pitcher even received the ball back, but sometimes they display the clock time and pause it before letting it wind down. I observed only 1 time when the pitch clock got to zero w/o the ball being delivered - it was just for a second or so and no penalty was given. I also observed 1 time when the wrong time was used, e.g., the between pitch time was used when it should have been the between batter time. So there will inevitably be some irregularities. But the pitch clock operators at the minor league games seem to do a good enough job so if the MLB clock operators are at least as good it may be sufficient. If MLB continues w the way their current operators are performing, I think there will be big problems.

I wonder if pitch clock issues will be able to be challenged. I doubt it and I hope not.

[madducks]

I'm thinking that the pitch clock will not be challengeable just like ball and strikes.

[harmon]

I think there's been way more rule changes (of significance) in the last few years than there were in the 100 years before that.

Lowering mound in '69, DH in '72 and vast periods of no real changes before and after that.

[harmon]

Does anyone know where I can find % of AB that a hitter was shifted and results of shifted vs not shifted?

[Ken]

I think there's been way more rule changes (of significance) in the last few years than there were in the 100 years before that.

Lowering mound in '69, DH in '72 and vast periods of no real changes before and after that.

That 60s and early 70s was similar to this period.

You left out changes to the strike zone in 63 and 69, free agency in 75, expansion in 61-62, even a change in ballpark requirements in 59.

[harmon]

That 60s early 70s was similar to this period.

You left out changes to the strike zone in 63 and 69, free agency in 75, expansion in 61-62, even a change in ballpark requirements in 59.

Those were some big ones, but in terms of game play changes this recent period has been unprecedented I think. Mound visits, challenges (goes back a few years now), 3 hitter minimum, sliding rules, ghost runner, pitch clock, shift restrictions, pick off restrictions, base size, auto intentional walk, etc, etc

[Kevin Seitzer]

That 60s and early 70s was similar to this period.

You left out changes to the strike zone in 63 and 69, free agency in 75, expansion in 61-62, even a change in ballpark requirements in 59.

The amateur draft in 1965, and the development of the farm system and modern scouting and "modern" (i.e., pre-2010s) front office all took place in those decades. Those aren't playing rules, but the changes to the game were immense. Astroturf and indoor stadiums were introduced. The pitching delivery underwent massive changes in those decades as pitchers had to learn to hold runners. No more Juan Marichal deliveries. Tommy John surgery was introduced in 1974, which led to very different thinking about pitcher arm injuries.