Major League Baseball announced a huge set of rule changes on Friday, which will go into effect for the 2023 season.
The biggest of the group are the institution of the pitch clock and a ban on defensive shifts. Pitchers will now have 15 seconds to make a pitch when the bases are empty and 20 seconds when runners are on. Failing to follow this rule will result in an automatic ball. Hitters will now also get just one timeout per plate appearance and are required to be in the batter’s box. The hitter must be “alert” at the eight-second mark of the pitch clock. Failing to do that results in an automatic strike for the hitter.
The pitch clock has been in use during the minor league season this year and has drastically decreased game times. According to MLB, the average time of a nine-inning game has gone from three hours and four minutes to two hours and 38 minutes. Pickoff attempts and mound step-offs are also going to be limited for pitchers. Each disengagement from the rubber resets the pitch clock and pitchers only get two per plate appearance. That number resets if a runner advances and pitchers can try for a third attempt in the same plate appearance, but it has to result in an out otherwise it is counted as a balk.
