MLB announced a new set of rules for 2023 that include speeding up the game, helping stolen bases return to the game and catering to hitters who aren’t good enough to adjust to the shifts. ESPN has all of the details here.
I can tell you from watching minor league games that you will like the pitch clock rules. The games go noticeably quicker and the action comes quicker as well. Pitcher and hitters will both need to be ready quicker for the pitches or automatic balls/strikes can be called. You don’t see those calls often, which keeps the game moving.
The bases (except home plate) will all be slightly bigger, which makes them closer to each other and along with the limited pick-off moves per at-bat, that will lead to more stolen bases, both in attempts and success rates.
The Joey Gallo rule banning shifts is completely ridiculous and caters to a small percentage of players who refuse to take advantage of extreme shifts. All four infielders will need to be on the infield while the pitch is being made and there will be no more instances of more than two players on each side of the second base bag. Now players like Gallo, during the few times they actually put the ball in play, will have a better chance that it goes for hits and the game adjusted for their benefit. No word on whether they will move in the fences for smaller players or move the distance of the basepaths for slower players, but those didn’t seem like dumb ideas until now. Hashtag Rob Manfred.
