A pitch timer, bigger bases and an end to the defensive shift are three new rules that will be seen in Major League Baseball during the 2023 season. Commissioner Rob Manfred stated that the MLB had conducted thorough research, which demonstrated that fans want to see more action, a faster pace of play, and more athleticism from the players. Each of these three rules stand to address one of these three pain points held by MLB fans. All three new rules have also been tested through more than 8,000 Minor League games, showing very promising results.

The pitch timer stands to increase the overall pace of play of the game. Baseball games have gained a reputation for taking an incredibly long time. In an effort to combat long game times, a new timer has been installed that will limit the time pitchers have between each pitch. Specifics can be found on MLB’s website, however, the core concept of the rule is that pitchers will have 15 seconds between pitches when bases are empty and 20 seconds when runners are on base. MLB has stated that the average playtime for Minor League games have gone down by 26 minutes, demonstrating promising evidence that the pitch timer will work effectively. The second new rule, bigger bases, stands mainly to protect players from collisions. First-basemen have always been at risk of runners colliding into them or stepping on their leg with a cleat. As of 2023, this fear will be mitigated through bases that are now 18 square  inches  instead of 15. Lastly, the shift change aims to increase the offense in the MLB. Players will now have to man their assigned position on the field, and cannot adjust themselves according to where a hitter is known to hit towards.

The newsmaker for this story would be all fans of Major League Baseball. As mentioned, each of these rules aims to mitigate a pain point shared by the majority of fans in the MLB. Slow, offense-lacking games are disliked by the majority of MLB’s fanbase, and these rules are aimed at helping these fans watch a better game of baseball.

The PR and marketing teams for the MLB ought to put out a campaign truly emphasizing how the average playtime for a Minor League game decreased by 26 minutes. This statistic alone is a driving force for any fan to watch more baseball this year. A rule with an identical concept was implemented in the MLB in 2020, where a runner automatically starts on second base once extra innings begin.

Overall, these new rules demonstrate how Major League Baseball is trying to appease it’s fanbase and stakeholders by solving two massive pain points for fans and one for their players. More offense and less overall game time are two massive bonuses that can only help the MLB gain more fans and keep their current ones happy. The new base sizes also serves as a protective measure for their players, who can now worry less about collisions and injuries on the field.

https://www.mlb.com/news/mlb-2023-rule-changes-pitch-timer-larger-bases-shifts

(article source)

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/26056428/regular-season-pitch-clocks-year-real-possibility

(image source)