The New MLB Rules Starting this 2023 Season & their Implications

1. The Pitcher Timer Rules:

A pitcher will have 15 seconds with bases empty, and 20 seconds with runners on base, to deliver the ball to homeplate. This will certainly speed things up, but also place less decision making in the hands of pitchers, and give more decisions to the catcher. Some pitchers will just go with their own desires and there will be more miscommunication between catchers and pitchers, and therefore more pass balls, wild pitches and dead balls.

A hitter will get 1 timeout per plate appearance and so must be in batter’s box within 8 seconds. The hitters will become more agitated as elbow guards, shin-guards, batting gloves and helmets etc. will not be able to be adjusted, thus leading them to be under more stress in addition to the less time between swings.

Pitchers will get two disengagements (either pickoff attempts or step-offs) per batter, and a failure to follow this will lead to a balk call, as any baserunners will get to move forward one base. The testing of this in the minor leagues ( now called partner league teams) increased by roughly 25% in stolen base attempts. This reduced the game length by 25 minutes in the Minors too.

2. Restrictions Rules:

Two infielders will be positioned on either side of 2^nd base when a pitch is released, and harkens back to the traditional fielding set up, so is not much of a break. All four infielders must have both feet within the ground or dirt infield (stay off the grass) when a pitcher is on the pitching rubber. This is also more traditional and so not any real break for most, as this is how most have played the game in their youth.

3. Bigger Bases:

1st, 2^nd & 3^rd bases will be increased from 15” square to 18” square and will make inside-the-park homerun 4.5 inches shorter. They are selling this, with PR cover, as to the safety of the players, and that is likely true, but it is really about getting more runs and steals.

Conclusions:

The results will certainly be shorter games, but the umpires will now be more involved in the game’s outcome and allow for more corruption- if there is to be any. There will be less thinking involved and so the players will be more instinctive and that is not good for them or those that like to think strategy.

Rafe will affect this aspect of the game as well, due to his ability to put baserunners under more duress as he changes arms. Also due to 2 arms, Rafe will be able to have double the pitch count in the WBC.

Most of all the stats for pitching and hitting will be very different. Batting averages will go up and pitching numbers will suffer. Good for the entertainment value, but make pitchers seem not as good as the ones in the past, as batters will break numbers as we will have a .400 hitter again and new home run king.

Let see if the game is better, and more people take part? In the end it is computer games that are making for lower numbers, but the health of those that are lost to computer games should be also compared as some lose exercise and attention spans, as they get addicted to dopamine hits. Mom’s basement is not better than the base or the ball.