Now with MLB regular season officially over and the postseason started, it’s time to reflect on the new rules that were implemented this season
Were they a base hit or a strikeout?
Pitch Clock: Base Hit
Since its start in 1876 MLB has never needed a clock.
One of the biggest changes to the game this season is the pitch clock. Pitchers now have 15 seconds to begin their windup and 20 seconds with runners on base.
If the pitcher did not begin its windup the batter would be issued an automatic ball.
On the other hand, batters had to be in the batter’s box and alert by the eight-second mark or they’d be issued an automatic strike.
Clearly fans were in favor of the rule, MLB’s total attendance grew from 64,556,658 fans in 2022 to 70,747,365 in 2023 according to a Monday MLB.com article. It also helped that games were much shorter, the average game time stemming at 2 hours and 39 minutes this past season.
It was easier for fans to come out to the ballpark and watch a game knowing they weren’t going to have to stay over 3 1/2 hours to watch a complete game.
Although this is a positive thing for the sport, I personally hate this rule.
With games being shorter I feel like I’m not getting my money's worth because I’m paying the same price – and in some cases even more – to catch a shorter and faster game.
Now that MLB is in the postseason, it irks me to see the pitch clock enforced. Now head coaches and pitchers will have less time to control the most important games of the season.
Again I’m not a fan of this rule, but I completely understand the importance of it. To see more people engaged in the game is only a good thing.
Disengagement Violation: Strike out
Another way MLB has sped up the game is by limiting pitchers the amount of times they’re able to attempt to pick-off a runner.
A pitcher now has two disengagements (pickoff attempts or step-offs) per plate appearance. A third disengagement would now be considered a balk and the base runner is automatically awarded their next base.
The rules provided a great “risk-reward” scenario as players can take a lengthy lead in the hopes that the pitcher will commit three disengagements to be awarded the next base.
At the same time it’s lame. It now gives baserunners an extremely unfair advantage.
Pitchers already face the pressures of a winding down clock, so why should they also have to worry about the number of pickoff attempts they throw first?
MLB’s concerns with speeding up the game also hurts itself in the process. Baseball is great because it's a song and dance between pitcher, batter and baserunners.
If this rule had been implemented since the beginning of MLB it would erase some of the games’ most iconic moments.
There would be no Dave Roberts stealing second base off Mariano Rivera to help the Red Sox comeback against the Yankees in the 2004 ALCS. He would simply be awarded the base after Rivera’s third pickoff attempt.
And yes, pitchers did take advantage of the game when there was no rule in place by committing a disengagement time after time, but I think it’s more important that we allow the sport to be played out.
Bigger bases: Base Hit
The league officially expanded each base from 15 to 18 inches.
This is a positive thing for the game as larger bases prevent injuries and helps incentivize baserunners to steal more.
We got to see the first 70-plus stolen base season by Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. since Jacoby Ellsbury in 2009.
The total number of attempted stolen bases increased from 1.4 attempts in 2022, to 1.8 attempts this season. The number of stolen bases per game increased from 1 to 1.4 per game.
The Shift: Base Hit
This season’s infielders were limited on where they can position themselves on the baseball diamond.
With new imposed regulation on shifting, all four infielders are now required to have their feet on the infield dirt or infield grass.
There also now must be two infielders on each side of second base.
This rule helped increase MLB’s offense as batting averages grew from .243 in last season to .248 in 2023.
Last season’s .243 league batting average was the lowest MLB saw since 1967.
Viewers witnessed teams get more creative with their defense positioning. Ball clubs would have outfielders now positioned on the bottom of the outfield grass serving as a “fifth infielder.”
This is a better maneuver for the shift as it becomes more of a risk to have an outfielder leave their designated position for a possible ground out.
Position Players Pitching: Base Hit
In another rule change MLB has limited the number of times a position players can appear on the mound.
The league enforced a new rule in which a team winning the game could only have a position player on the mound if the team is up by 10 or more runs in the ninth inning.
For losing teams, you were only allowed to have a position player on the bump anytime as long as they were down by 8 runs.
This one serves as a base hit because it keeps the game more competitive.
As cool as it is to have moments in which Anthony Rizzo strikes out Freddie Freeman, it is silly to have a player who doesn’t consistently practice pitching taking the bump when their team is up.
Jersey Advertisements: Strike Out
This is by far the worst change that has ever happened in the history of MLB.
I kid of course, but it is a travesty to watch such legendary uniforms be tarnished by huge and ugly advertisements.
All teams were allowed to begin to add advertisement patches to the sleeves of their jerseys this season. Not all ball clubs have them (yet), and some teams added them mid-season.
This is bad for the game because it just looks so ugly on their uniforms. The term “sticks out like a sore thumb” really doesn’t do justice for how pathetic this looks.
All the patch sizes are different as well which can be such an eyesore when watching the San Diego Padres play with a giant Motorola “M” advertisement on their sleeve.
Teams are going to shy away from having patches that commemorate organizational anniversaries as well as tribute patches.
The San Francisco Giants had to shift their memorial patches for Gaylord Perry and Vida Blue
from their right to left sleeve to make room for an absolutely atrocious advertisement patch from Cruise.
Now if a team with a uniform advertisement makes it to the Fall Classic they will have to eliminate their logo patch to make way for the World Series one.
I know that some fans will argue that teams are able to generate more revenue with jersey advertisements, but I really doubt that the money will be reinvested on the field as MLB is littered with owners who constantly cry for public funds to renovate or build stadiums.
This is only the beginning of these iconic uniforms becoming build boards as teams are officially allowed to sell advertisement space on the sides of batting helmets during the postseason this year.
RECAP
MLB is mostly making progressive steps to get more fans involved in the game and that is nothing but good.
In the future, I do hope more rules are imposed on the game like challenges for balls and strikes as well as the possibility of robotic umpires.
But please MLB, do not allow anymore ad space on jerseys.
