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In baseball, over the years, the times that we’ve been talking about maybe changing are really changing. The collective bargaining agreement that ended MLB’s 2022 lockout will install some changes itself, including an expanded playoff system and a universal designated hitter, allowing commissioner Rob Manfred and the league to set a foundation for the future. It paved the way for a better way to implement rule changes.
The first wave will go into effect on Opening Day in 2023 and could dominate conversations and preparations for spring training. In September 2022, MLB announced several field rule changes, including the long-awaited pitch clock (or pitch timer as MLB officially calls it). Two other significant changes he agreed as part of the CBA negotiations will not come into effect until 2023.
For fans, there are six notable changes, some of which will fly off your screen and some that may take you a minute to notice. In preparation for the new season, let’s rank how MLB’s new changes will be noticed in his 2023, and speculate how they might affect the viewing experience.
1. Pitch timer
The game is getting the clock. This may feel like a jarring addition, but it’s meant to align the sport with the experience most fans grew up with.In 2022, his 9-inning average game time is his three hours. It was 3 minutes. Since 2014, all eight seasons in which nine-inning games averaged three hours or more have been recorded. In the minor leagues, the pitch timer reduced average game time by 25. minute. If this effect were replicated in the majors, it would speed up the game to the pace last seen in 2006.
As a refresher, here’s how the timer counts down in each situation.
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30 seconds between hitters
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15 seconds between throws if the base is empty
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20 seconds between pitches if the runner is on base
The pitcher must initiate motion or charge with an automatic ball before the timer expires. The batter is also managed by a timer. They must “get the pitcher’s attention in the box” by his eight-second mark or an automatic strike will be imposed.
This is arguably the most dramatic change to come in 2023, though it may be dwarfed by the automatic ballstrike system that could somehow reach the Majors in future seasons. Pitchers, and more hitters than you might think, are forced to adjust habits and rituals throughout their careers. may not be
Still, the goals are admirable. And if the results match the minor league experiment, packing the same amount of action into a more easily consumed package would be a boon to baseball.
2. Restrictions on infield shift
In a move to curb some of the creative defensive positions that have been taking more and more hits in recent seasons, MLB is implementing restrictions on infield defense. This season, the defensive team should have his four infielders in the dirt at the start of each pitch, and he should have at least two defenders on either side of second base. If the defense violates the rules, the batting team can choose to auto-ball or accept the outcome of the play (such as when the pitch is doubled despite a positioning violation).
The team will undoubtedly create some new forms of defensive magic within these new boundaries, but the basic shape of the infield looks more like a stereotypical positional graphic than in recent years. .
Left-handed power hitters in particular have been the subject of the most extreme defensive maneuvers and thus provide a stress test of limits. Maybe Corey Seager, Kyle Schwarber & Co. will suddenly hit .280 and .250 instead of .245 and .218.
But those same sluggers may also be worth watching for adaptations. Can an outfielder stand in short right field like a second baseman? am.
3. Pickoff Rules
While this is technically listed in the rulebook as part of the pitch timer, the new law of the running game is worth considering in its own right. No longer allowed unlimited throws. Two “disengagements” allowed per at-bat. A disengagement is a pickoff attempt or a step off the mound that is not an injury or mound visit. The pitcher may attempt his third pickoff, but if the pickoff fails, the runner automatically advances. Also, when the runner moves forward, the counter is reset.
At least initially, this will be another big shift for veteran pitchers and for overall game strategy. In classic backs style, New York Mets manager Buck Showalter quizzes his players as they arrive for spring training to see how well they’ve absorbed the new rules and before the actual game begins. It reportedly plans to see how much more digging it needs to do.
If the traditional cursory reaction to multiple pickoff attempts (floods of boos) is any indication, this rule may be most noticeable at the moment of elimination. It remains to be seen whether the restrictions will create a more brazen stolen base environment, or whether Hurler will simply adapt and maintain the league’s relatively conservative status quo.
4. Balanced schedule
If you’re a season ticket holder or a follower of your team’s local broadcast, this change may be underestimated. In the new version of MLB’s schedule, every team faces every other team each season.
Here’s how it works for certain teams:
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The number of games per season against rivals in each division has been reduced from 19 in the previous schedule format to 14
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6 games per season against 10 other teams in the same league — 1 home series, 1 away series
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Four games per season with “geographical” interleague rivals, sometimes pairings that make sense (Yankees-Mets, Cubs-White Sox), sometimes Houston Astros versus Colorado Rockies
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Three games per season against all other interleague teams — one annual series that rotates every year
In total, each club will play between 16 and 46 interleague matchups. Along with the 12-team playoff format and universal DH adopted in 2022, this is a shift to his NFL or NBA-style view of league competition. Also, as MLB points out, in key wild card races, “teams in the same league feature common opponents from 52% of his to 76% of his disproportionate schedules.” A more level playing field is created. This means that one NL contender could theoretically play that interleague slate against the weak AL Central and be forced to play another race for the same playoff spot against the difficult AL East. This is in stark contrast to the old system.
For fans, there is also the more basic entertainment aspect. Everyone gets to see the team go up against distant stars like Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge who might otherwise have been hard to watch.
5. Uniform advertising
Yes, there will be advertising patches on uniforms in 2023. A staple of European football kits, corporate sponsorships made a natural leap into American sportswear in 2007 with the MLS. NHL helmet and sweater. MLB has negotiated the right for owners to sell jersey patches as part of the new CBA, with Commissioner Rob Manfred calling them “the reality of professional sports.”
The San Diego Padres, the first team to sign a contract for the patch, will bill Motorola $9 million a year. Other teams will undoubtedly go for even real estate and get even more.
Baseball fans aren’t known for their seamless response to change. Previous additions of the New Era logo to field caps and the Nike logo to field uniforms both caused an uproar among traditionalists and picky Twitter users. Unsurprisingly, these angry moments proved to be, well, fleeting.
The introduction of external sponsorships can be difficult to get used to and no doubt creates more opportunities for teams and brands to become embroiled in controversy. The Washington Nationals, for example, struck a lucrative sponsorship deal with cryptocurrency firm Terra just months before going bankrupt.
6. Bigger base
Finally, the base. they will be bigger. Specifically, it will be 18 inches square instead of 15 inches square. There is hope that this inch game could encourage more stolen bases, but the reasoning behind the change is player safety. Allows more space to avoid tangles and tangles.
Fans who find this change popping off the screen are encouraged to pursue a career as a fighter pilot. So take your time and enjoy the show.
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