NEW YORK – Major League Baseball officials have announced a time limit on throwing at home plate and restrictions on defensive measures next season, with the goal of reducing the length of games and improve the attack.
Major League Baseball’s 11-person competition committee confirmed on Friday a 15-second countdown for throwing a pitch when no runners are on the trails, and a 20-second countdown when there will be.
The time limit to make a pitch in Major League Baseball will be a little longer than what has been experienced in Minor League Baseball this season, at 14 seconds with empty trails and 19 seconds with runners on the trails at the AAA level. In the lower levels of minor baseball, the limits were 14 and 18 seconds, respectively.
In terms of defensive strategies, the new rule provides that four players, other than the pitcher and the receiver, must be in front of the outfield turf when a pitch is made, and there must be no more than two defensive players. on each side of the second cushion.
Also, during each at-bat, a pitcher will not be able to remove his foot from the plate at the mound or throw to a cushion to catch a runner at fault more than twice, which Major League Baseball officials call “disengagement”.
If a pitcher goes for a third attempt and it fails, an illegal balk will be declared. The limit will be reduced to two if a runner advances.
Finally, the size of the goals will be increased from 15 square inches to 18 square inches. Initially, the measure will provide a little more security for the first baseman, who will run less risk of having his foot pinned by the batter. Moreover, it could increase the number of stolen bases since the distance between cushions will be slightly reduced.
The changes will take effect at the next training camp.
In the minor leagues, the addition of a stopwatch has reduced the average length of nine-inning games from three hours and four minutes in 2021 to two hours and 38 minutes this season.
The average length of a nine-inning Major League baseball game is three hours and six minutes this year. According to Elias Sports, it was two hours 46 minutes in 1989.
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