Major League Baseball announces rule changes

Spring training is just around the corner Major League Baseball has announced some major rule changes that could impact your viewing experience significantly, including a pitch clock, a limit to defensive shifts, and bigger bases on the base paths.

Major league pitchers will now have 15 seconds between pitches if there are no runners on base and 20 seconds between pitches if there are runners on base. Hitters must be in the batter’s box with eight seconds remaining on the clock. If the pitcher has not started his motion in the required time, he will be assessed a “ball” for that pitch. If a hitter is not in the batter’s box on time, he will be assessed a “strike.”

Last season, Atlanta closer Kenley Jansen had the slowest times between pitches, averaging 26.1 seconds between pitches.

The pitch clock is an effort to shorten game times and move the action along a little more quickly. A major league baseball game lasted an average of three hours and four minutes last season and this is one way MLB is working to reduce the time.

The new rules also limit the number of pick-off attempts for pitchers. Pickoffs are now considered one version of “disengagements,” which consist of any time that the pitcher makes a pickoff attempt, fakes a pickoff, or steps off the rubber, as well as when the defense requests time. Pitchers are allowed two disengagements per plate appearance without penalty. If the pitcher steps off a third time, he will be assessed a balk unless at least one offensive player advances to the next base.

This change is intended to get more action on the base paths and possibly increase stolen base attempts, according to ESPN.com.

Another change is the defensive shifts teams use when they know a batter hits in a certain direction. When a pitch is thrown, there must be four infielders in the dirt and two of them on each side of second base. The players can move once the pitch is thrown.

This change is being made to help increase the number of singles being hit, according to the ESPN report. The league average has dipped to .243, the lowest since 1968. Last season there was a lower rate of singles hit than at any time in the major leagues.

The other change is the increase in the size of the bases from 15 inches to 18 inches. This change is intended to reduce injuries and increase the number of stolen bases.