New rule changes are exactly what baseball needs

Major League Baseball’s competition committee approved rule changes on Friday that are going to have a major impact on the future of the game. The goal is to increase the amount of action in the game while reducing the amount of time between that action. The changes are exactly what baseball needs.

Avid baseball fans love the sport regardless of what the pace and action are in any given game. But the fan base is skewing older, as the average baseball fan is 57 years old. I often hear from younger fans that the game is too slow and boring.

Pace of play has been a pet peeve of commissioner Rob Manfred since he succeeded Bud Selig in 2015. Remember, pace of play doesn’t necessarily mean how long a game takes to be completed. Pace is more about the time between the action. A game played at a faster pace with more action might last as long as the games do now, but it will be much more interesting to watch.

Analytics have changed the game in many ways. One of the most notable is how the team in the field defends the hitters. Shifting infielders to one side of second base or the other has become rampant. If the statistics indicate that a hitter pulls the ball on the ground, the defence compensates accordingly. For a big left-handed pull hitter, it is fairly common to see the shortstop or third baseman moved to the right side of the infield. The infielders are also moved onto the outfield grass to give them better range to snag ground balls or catch sinking line drives. Some teams, including the Blue Jays, have implemented a four-outfielder defence with no one on base at times.

These defensive alignments have dramatically impacted batting averages in the game. The league’s batting average is .243, the lowest since 1968, which was known as the Year of the Pitcher. 

The three rule changes below were made to stimulate more offensive action on the field. I think they will work fabulously. They had a significant impact when tested in the minor leagues.

Banning the shift

The new rule states that there must be two infielders on either side of second base while all infielders must have their feet on the infield dirt prior to the ball leaving the pitcher’s hand. This rule is going to add more singles back into the game. The defence will have fewer players in the path of the balls put in play and less range to be able to get to them. If the defence violates the rule, the offence can take the outcome of the play or add a ball to the hitter’s count.

Bigger bases

There will be more action because of the bigger bases, which are increasing in size from 15 inches to 18 inches. Baserunners on first base will be four and a half inches closer to second base now, as will the runner on second be to third base. This will lead to a greater success rate on stolen bases. Think about how many times a runner is out on a bang-bang play. Those runners will be safe next year. Stolen bases have diminished significantly over the past several decades. The risk of getting thrown out didn’t justify the attempts when everyone started hitting home runs. 

This rule change will also bring speed and athleticism back into the game. It will change the way teams scout and develop players. It will change how the way they build their teams. Manufacturing runs will return to the offensive tactics instead of complete reliance on the home run.

The extra three inches on the bases will also reduce the number of time baserunners step on a first baseman’s foot at the base. It will also create a bit more distance for the first baseman to reach an errant throw in the baseline, which can lead to a hyperextension injury for the defender at first.

Limiting pickoff attempts

Since the expectation is that stolen base attempts will increase, there is a reasonable assumption that clubs would make an adjustment to defend the stolen base by having pitchers throw to the occupied bases more to keep the runners close.

The competition committee added another rule that limits the number of times a pitcher can disengage from a hitter. Any time the pitcher makes a pickoff attempt, fakes a pickoff, or steps off the rubber, as well as when the defence requests time, will be considered a disengagement. Pitchers are allowed two disengagements per plate appearance without penalty.

So, if a pitcher throws to first base twice during an at-bat, he may not throw over again without the penalty of a ball being added to the hitter’s count. This will allow baserunners to be ultra-aggressive on their leads off the base. 

Pitch clock

Once they added more action to the game, the competition committee moved to legislate less time between the action. One of the glorious things about baseball has always been that there is no clock – until now.

Pitchers will be allowed 15 seconds between pitches with no one on base and 20 seconds with runners on base. If a pitch isn’t delivered in the allotted time, a ball will be added to the count for the hitter. The hitter’s responsibility is to be in the batter’s box with at least eight seconds remaining on the clock. If he isn’t in the box by then, a strike will be added to his count.

In the minors, the allotted pitch clock times are 14 seconds for no one on base and 18 seconds with runners on. They shaved over 20 minutes per game with that adjustment. I would expect MLB games will average about two hours and 45 minutes next year, down from three hours and four minutes this year.

I fully expect pitchers to complain about the clock next season. Baseball players don’t like change and don’t like to be rushed, but they will adapt and adjust. We already have many players in the majors who have been performing with the even more aggressive pitch clock in the minors.

I predict these rule changes will be historic. They will improve the product on the field, making it more appealing for sponsors, network partners, and fans alike. I believe we will see the average age of fans start to trend younger. Commissioner Manfred will have these changes on his resume and will forever be revered for their impact.