Baseball is evolving. In 2023, the game will look and feel different than it ever has before, as MLB has made changes to the rules and the physical playing field itself.
MLB revealed Tuesday that larger bases and pitch clocks will be part of the game starting this spring. The pitch clocks will be hard to miss, while the bases will be noticeably larger than the previous iteration.
The larger bases are intended to increase stolen base attempts, a dwindling art that also happens to be one of the game’s most exciting plays. Per Baseball Almanac, MLB players successfully stole a total of 2,487 bases in 2022. While that was an increase on the 2,214 bases stolen the year prior, it still represents a dramatic decline from the 15-year peak of 3,279 stolen bases in 2011.
The changes to the game also include a set of rules intended to increase action and decrease game time. Alongside limitations on defensive shifts and the permanent renewal of the extra-innings runner, the changes are part of a concerted effort to increase interest in the game.
The pitch clocks, which will be placed around ball parks where both hitters and batters can see them, are also meant to quicken the pace of the game. Hitters must be in the box and ready to face a pitch within eight seconds. If not, it’s a strike. With the bases empty, pitchers must be engaged in their pitching motion by 15 seconds. If not, it’s a ball. With men on base, pitchers are allowed 20 seconds.
This will, of course, require adjustments in a game that’s notoriously slow to evolve. Players, managers and umpires will face a new set of challenges starting in spring training. There will be growing pains, but MLB is counting on those growing pains paying off in the long run with a game that is more exciting and quicker than ever before.
