Pitch Clock, limited defensive transformations in MLB

Major League Baseball announced Friday that its competitions committee — an 11-member panel made up of six owner representatives, four players and an umpire — voted to implement three new rule changes for the 2023 season: pitch hour, restrictions on postponing the Defensive and more rules.

Commissioner Rob Manfred made the following statement after the vote:

“These moves are designed to improve the pace of play, increase movement and reduce injuries, all goals that have been overwhelmed by our fans. During extensive testing over the past few years, minor league staff and a wide range of fans – from the most faithful observers – have recognized the collective impact. These changes make the game better and more enjoyable. We appreciate the involvement of major league players and umpire representatives in this process.”

The league’s press release describes the changes (and provides context from the league’s simple pitch test) as follows:

• Pitch-Timer: The pitch timer improves game speed and reduces dead time. The pitch timer regulations include the following provisions:
  • The bowler must start his turn before the timer runs out. Shooters have up to 15 seconds between courts when the bases are empty and up to 20 seconds between courts with at least one runner at base. The minor league test consisted of 14 seconds with empty bases and 18 seconds (19 seconds in Triple-A) with at least one runner on base.
  • The pitcher is allowed to release the rubber (reset the timer) twice per board strike without penalty.
    • Subsequent deregistrations will result in a stop unless a runner is deregistered.
    • The exit counter is reset as the runner progresses; The test in minors did not reset until the next panel appeared.
  • The hitter must be in the batterbox and alert the bowler with at least eight seconds remaining. The test in the minor leagues still had nine seconds to go.
  • The hitter gets one time out per board appearance.
  • The umpires have the authority to grant overtime if special circumstances warrant it (e.g. the catcher makes the last turn of the spin and needs extra time to reach defensive position)..
    • Important statistics:
      • Compared to last season, Pitch Timer reduced the average game time by nine runs by 26 minutes (from 3:04 in 2021 to 2:38 in 2022) while increasing movement on the field.
      • The number of stolen base attempts per game increased from 2.23 in 2019 with a 68% success rate to 2.83 in 2022 with a 77% success rate.
      • For the last week of play, minor league baseball averaged 0.45 field timer violations per game.

• Defensive Shift Limitations: A number of restrictions will return the game to a more traditional aesthetic, controlling defensive transitions, with objectives to put more balls in play, giving players more opportunities to showcase their athletic prowess, and the growing trend of alliances with to equalize four outfield players:
  • lateral position: When clearing the field, two attackers must be placed on each side of second base.
  • Depth: Each of the four players must have both feet within the perimeter of the pitch when the pitcher is on the rubber.
  • No change of sides: Players are not allowed to change sides unless there is an alternative.
    • main case: Four-player on-field defensive alliances have increased nearly six-fold since the start of the 2018 season in MLB.

• Bigger Rules: With the goal of improving player safety, the size of the first, second and third bases will be increased from a standard 15-inch square to 18-inches.
  • Bigger rules are designed to have a positive impact on player health and keep the big leagues on the field.
    • main case: Base-related injuries are down 13.5% in minor leagues this season, including declines at all minor levels.
  • Larger bases decrease the distance between first and second bases and between second and third bases by 4.5 inches, encouraging offensive clubs to try to steal more often and be more aggressive on bases in general.

The panel voted unanimously for larger bases, though players voted against pitching clocks and limiting defensive turnovers, ESPN’s Jeff Bassan first reported. The MLBPA confirmed this in a statement since released, stating:

“Players live the game – day in, day out. Rules and regulations on the pitch influence their preparation, performance and ultimately the integrity of the game itself. Player leaders from across the league participated in the on-pitch rules of the game negotiations as part of the competition committee, which provided specific and actionable feedback on those submitted by it Major League Baseball’s Office of the Commissioner was unwilling to meaningfully address the areas of concern expressed by players, and as a result, the players on the Competitions Committee voted unanimously against the introduction of defensive transition rules and the use of pitch timers.”