tribtoday
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- In a recent Arizona Fall League game at Salt River Fields, Minnesota Twins prospect Kyle DeBarge took a few steps toward a worn patch of grass in center field and glanced up at a small video board. The board indicated whether he was in the correct spot: a few steps in any direction triggered a big red X, while staying on a small island of dirt produced a green 'O'. This is part of Major League Baseball's latest experiment to boost offense by restricting outfield positioning on every at-bat.
The idea is that forcing outfielders to play straight up, rather than adjusting to individual hitters' tendencies, will lead to more doubles and triples. "The hardest part is cutting off doubles in the gap and they're even turning into triples," DeBarge said. "That's what they told us they wanted in the beginning. So it works." Infielders also face new positioning requirements when there are no runners on base, limiting how much they can shift.
The Arizona Fall League has long served as a testing ground for future MLB players and potential rule changes. For example, the AFL experimented with the Automated Ball-Strike system well before it reached the big leagues in 2026. MLB views the AFL as a low-stakes environment to test rules. The league declined official comment on the outfield experiment, and any change to big-league rules would still be years away. The experiment is limited to games at Salt River Fields, which has technology similar to MLB parks.
"We talked to our guys about embracing it, it only happens in our ballpark, so embrace it and move on," Salt River manager Ted Tom said. "There's going to be some things that we've never seen before. That's OK, just keep playing."
MLB's Search for Offense
MLB's 2023 rules package, which included the pitch clock, infield shift restrictions, bigger bases, and limits on pitcher disengagements, was widely considered a success in reducing game times. However, the offensive impact has been minimal. Batting average (.243 in 2022 vs. .244 in 2026), runs per game (4.28 vs. 4.48), and hits per game (8.16 vs. 8.20) have barely changed. The lack of offense is even more pronounced in the postseason, where teams combined for a .216 batting average through Game 2 of the World Series.
Doubles and triples are exciting, and MLB wants to see more of them. "The pros are that you're never out of the game, it's very exciting for the fans and there's lots of action, which is part of the intention," Tom said.
Doubles and Triples Galore
The experimental rules force outfielders at Salt River Fields to play much more shallow than usual, requiring them to go back on fly balls more often. The trade-off is that there are almost no bloop singles. "It's a give and take," Washington Nationals prospect Teo Banks said. "Your first move is always back with how shallow you are -- lots of running. But I think there's some part of strategy that's taken away with something like this."
Banks spoke after Scottsdale beat Salt River 15-8 on Thursday in a game that featured five triples, an AFL record. The experiment is clearly having an effect, but is it too much of a change? Tom thought about the question for a moment, then grinned and mimicked zipping his lips. Some things are better left unsaid.
Originally reported by tribtoday.