How has the 2023 MLB rule change impacted games in regular season?
The new season has seen some new rules being introduced and it seems they have been working as planned.
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[Pitcher getting ready to pitch. Pic Credit: AZ Snakepit]
The 2023 MLB season has been off to a great start. This season has been unique in its own way with new sets of rules which have been introduced this year. The major rule change which has been introduced is the pitch clock. There is no denying that the rules which were brought to shorter game time and increased batting stats have worked as thought.
Apart from the pitch clock, the other changes which MLB brought in this year are the new large bases and fielding shifts. According to official data, the introduction of the pitch clock timer has seen the passage of play decrease by an average of half an hour. The players are certainly getting used to or at least trying to adjust to these new rules.
Many players have already succumbed to this new pitch clock rule. San Diego Padres’s Manny Machado and White Sox’s Tim Anderson were removed from the match after their raised their voice over their alleged violation. Los Angeles Angels two-way player Shohei Ohtani wrote unwanted history as he became the first player to violate this rule both as a pitcher and batter. Both incidents took place in the same match.
Related: Juan Soto admits he is not a fan of new pitch clock rule
The new rules are showing results that were planned
The new pitch clock rule works on time limits as per situations. Pitchers have fifteen seconds to pitch the ball with nobody on base. With runners on base, they are given twenty seconds. If the player violates this rule, he will be punished with a ball in the count.
The hitters have eight seconds to be ready to face the pitcher. If he fails to do so, he gets charged with a strike. If a batter violates this rule after he has assembled two strikes, then he will be punished with another strike which would mean an automatic strikeout.
The other new rules of fielding shifts and larger bases are also playing a major part this season. The impact of these rules has seen an increase in batting average as players have been able to find gaps more effectively than before. The increase in the sizes of bases has seen the players trying to steal a base more often.
Meanwhile, the reduction in-game time has also seen an increase in sales of beverages and alcohol. Earlier the stadium would be used to serve beverages only up till the seventh inning. Now with less game time, a few teams have started serving their customers till the eighth inning. Other teams might follow this tradition soon.
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Kaushani Chatterjee
(2140 Articles Published)