How Have the New MLB Rules Changed Baseball So Far?
In some ways, the 2023 MLB season is the beginning of a new era for the sport. Several MLB rule changes put in place before the season have changed the way that the game is played and how fans experience the game as well. One could argue that buying MLB tickets is even more appealing now than it has been in past years. What exactly is different in 2023 for players and fans? Let’s take a closer look at some of the rule changes in baseball and what is different about baseball in 2023.
What Are the New Rules?
First, let’s review the new rules put in place this season. The most important one is the pitch clock. Pitchers now have 15 seconds to deliver a pitch when the bases are empty and 20 seconds with runners on base. They are also limited to three disengagements per at-bat, limiting the number of pickoff attempts they get. If an out isn’t recorded on the third pickoff attempt, a balk is called.
Meanwhile, there has been a rule change to limit defensive shifts. Infielders are no longer allowed to be on the outfield grass before a pitch is delivered. Also, there must be two infielders on each side of second base before every pitch, so teams can no longer put three or four players on one side of the infield. Finally, the bases are now 18 square inches as opposed to 15 square inches previously.
Shorter Games
The new pitch clock rules were intended to shorten the average length of MLB games, and they have worked as intended thus far. During the early part of the season, the average MLB game has been two hours and 38 minutes long. During the 2022 season, the average game lasted three hours and six minutes. In other words, MLB has managed to shave nearly a half hour off of every game, thanks largely to the pitch clock. In fact, the 2023 season is likely to be the first season since 2011 that the average length of a game remains under three hours.
More Hits and Runs
In addition to the pitch clock, the crackdown on defensive shifts has also helped to provide more offense. While it’s still a small sample size, MLB teams hit .247 in April 2023 compared to .243 in April 2022. Likewise, the average number of runs per game was 8.5 in 2022 but jumped to 9.1 runs per game during the early part of the 2023 season. Keep in mind that offense is typically slow during the early part of the season when the weather is cold but spikes during the warmer summer months. The fact that offense was on the rise early in the season is a sign that the new rules are having an immediate impact.
The main purpose of the shift was to reward players for hitting the ball hard. With defensive shifts, teams could place players where they expected players to hit the ball. Specifically, infielders could play in shallow right field and take away hits on hard-hit balls to that part of the field. With that defensive alignment taken away, there are more hits in baseball, leading to more runs being scored.
More importantly, more runs being scored isn’t leading to longer games. Obviously, games with fewer hits and fewer runs will have shorter innings, allowing games to be completed sooner, whereas high-scoring games will take longer. But even with a modest increase in offense, game times are still down, providing further proof that the pitch clock is working as intended.
More Stolen Bases
The pickoff limit – as well as the larger bases and pitch clock – has also caused the number of stolen bases in 2023 to increase significantly. Not only are teams attempting to steal bases more frequently, but the success rate is also up. The MLB record for stolen base success rate was set in 2021 at 75.7%. However, base runners in 2023 are approaching an 80% success rate. Base runners have started to be more aggressive with the knowledge that pitchers are now limited in how many times they can attempt a pickoff, making stolen bases a prominent part of baseball again while making speed a more valuable commodity.
New Wrinkles and Oddities
Among the changes in baseball this year because of the rule changes is a new batch of wrinkles and oddities in the game. Both pitchers and hitters are now committing pitch clock violations. There are also more balks because of the disengagement rules. These are things that fans have never seen before. At the same time, the new rules have forced managers to navigate a new set of situations and devise new tactics, which has been interesting to watch.
Better Fan Experience
Perhaps the most important part of the rule changes is that fans in stadiums have a more enjoyable experience at baseball games. The games are shorter and have less downtime between pitches. With more hits and more stolen bases, there is more action in the average game. Meanwhile, with the rules against defensive shifts, defensive players actually have to move to make plays, leading to more exciting outs, especially among middle infielders, who now get to show off their range and athleticism. Overall, baseball has become a more action-packed and entertaining game to watch live than in past years, largely thanks to the new rules.