23 for ’23: Pitch Timer Sped Baseball Into the Future

With all due respect to Corey Seager, Adolis García and the rest of the Texas Rangers in their win over the Arizona Diamondbacks, the most notable moments of the World Series were the ones that didn’t happen. In the first Fall Classic played with the pitch timer, there were zero clock violations over nearly 1,500 pitches thrown. A rule change that seemed cataclysmic in spring training was mundane by October.

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The pitch timer revolutionized baseball in 2023, shortening games—the average regular-season contest was 24 minutes faster than in ’22—and, along with other rule changes, bringing a more action-packed pace to the MLB experience. Hitters and pitchers acclimated to the clock well; in the postseason there were only seven violations, or one every six games. In the end, the clock was widely embraced by fans and players. See, MLB? Change isn’t so hard after all. 

Diamondbacks outfielder Corbin Carroll bats during the 2023 World Series—the first Fall Classic to implement the pitch timer.

Erick W. Rasco/Sports Illustrated