Major League Baseball’s newest rule has officially been implemented and it’s causing quite a stir. The new pitch clock requires pitchers to deliver a pitch within 15 seconds when the bases are empty and 20 seconds with runners on base. 

The rule, which is aimed to speed up the pace of play, was implemented in the minor leagues in the 2022 season. According to the commissioners office, the pitch clock cut minor league game durations by an average of 25 minutes. Average game length in 2021 was three hours and three minutes, compared to the 2022 average of two hours and 38 minutes. 

Pitchers and hitters in the major leagues have been exposed to the clock for the first time this past weekend in spring training games. The first violation occurred when Manny Machado was not inside of the batter’s box before the clock hit eight seconds. This violation resulted in an automatic strike. 

Although Machado’s violation was the first, it was most definitely not the most talked about over the weekend. On February 25, 2023 MLB and its fans saw the first instance of a “clock-off.” 

The Atlanta Braves and the Boston Red Sox entered the bottom of the ninth with a score of 6-3 with the Red Sox leading. The Braves rallied to tie the game and were down to their final out with bases loaded with Cal Conley at the plate. Conley believed that Red Sox pitcher Robert Kwiatkowski wasn’t ready in time on the mound and Conley started to take his walk-off walk to first base, when umpire John Libka stepped out from behind the plate and indicated Conley was not in the box before the pitch clock hit eight seconds, ending the inning with a two-out, bases loaded strikeout. The game ended here in a 6-6 tie (because you know Spring training is weird). 

Many fans are complaining about the amount of violations there have been in just the first four days of Spring training, but this is an overreaction. Fans are noticing these violations more because they are novel. In the 2022 minor league season, there were an average two violations per game in the first month, but as the season progressed it was under 0.5 per game. A poll done by MLB says that 89% of minor leaguers said it took less than a month to get used to the new rule. Luckily, Spring Training is just about a month long. 

The new pitch clock will be something to get used to at the plate, but another rule that pitchers and base runners have to get used to is the new disengagement rule. A pitcher is now limited to two disengagements per plate appearance. These disengagements include a pick-off attempt or stepping off the rubber. Batters are allowed one disengagement from the batter’s box per plate appearance, which would stop the pitch clock. 

I believe this rule will cause more frustration between players than the pitch clock because of the idea of controlling a plate appearance. Many hitters today are taught to take a pitcher out of their rhythm by calling time just before they start their windup, as this can disrupt a pitcher’s mindset. 

While the rules are being debated all over the internet and within MLB teams, the rules are here to stay and teams will have to get used to it. In the end, this will shorten game times, making the game more appealing to a younger audience that is proven to have short attention spans. 

I’ll leave you with this: According to the pro-football network, an average NFL game lasts three hours and 12 minutes. If a baseball game can last an average of two hours and 40 minutes, it’s good for the growth of the game.