For nearly two decades baseball games have been getting longer with less action. Baseball finally is taking meaningful steps not just to end the trend but also reverse it: more action in less time.
The MLB Competition Committee is expected Friday to adopt three rule changes starting in 2023: a pitch timer to improve pace of play, a ban on shifts to restore offense and athleticism, and bigger bases to encourage stolen bases. All rule changes have worked to their intended effect in minor league trials.
The rules are not about reinventing baseball. They are about restoring it—restoring the game to levels of pace, balls in play and athleticism that were common 20, 30 and 40 years ago.
