These 3 new rule changes will transform baseball this year

Big changes are coming to baseball this year as the league attempts to fix some of the major issues fans have been complaining about for years, but what’s actually going on?

There are three new rules planned for Major League Baseball’s 2023 Regular Season and they aim to increase the rate of play by forcing more balls into play and producing more action on base, creating what officials hope will be a more exciting game. 

The three new rules include the league’s first-ever pitch clock, the limiting of infield shifts, and an increase in base sizes. Let’s look at how each will affect the game. 

According to ESPN, pitchers will now be given fifteen seconds to throw their ball when bases are empty and twenty seconds when there’s a runner on base. 

Hitters will also be on the clock as well and have to be inside the batter’s box with eight seconds still on the pitch clock, forcing both parties to move quickly into the pitch. 

According to ESPN, Pitchers who don’t throw their ball before the pitch clock runs out will be penalized with a ball and if the hitter doesn’t enter the batter’s box on time they will earn a strike. 

Stadiums will have two clocks for both the pitcher and the batter but the reaction from players has mixed, some pitchers are worried about their ability to control the game. 

"I think every pitcher is taught to be on your own tempo, be controlled, breathe, and slow the game down," Houston Astros closer Ryan Pressly told the Houston Chronicle. 

"Now the pitch clock is going to affect that a little bit, but we're all big leaguers. We can make an adjustment," Pressley continued. 

Players are also worried about the changes coming to infield shifts. According to Marca, no more than two infielders will be allowed on either side of second base, a rule change that is already changing how teams are preparing their infielders to play this season. 

"I already have asked our guys to go in and prepare themselves from the waist down if you’re an infielder because you’re going to have to go out and get the job done on a much bigger scale,” Arizona Diamondbacks Tory Lovullo explained to Fox Sports. 

"I think for us to win inches and do what I expect us to do defensively, we need to have every infielder… be as dynamic as possible with their left and right movements to cover that ground," Lovullo added. 

Players will be allowed to move as soon as the ball leaves their pitcher’s hand but they will be stuck in their position until the end of the inning according to ESPN. 

The modifications coming to base sizes are probably the most well-received with ESPN noting bases will increase from 15 inches to 18 inches in a move league officials hope will help alleviate injuries while increasing the likelihood of players attempting a steal.

Some managers don’t think the new bag sizes will matter. "I'll be honest,” Bruce Bouchy of the Texas Rangers told Fox Sports, “I don't know how big a difference it's going to make."

"It may make them try to be more aggressive. But I think you'll see pitchers get quicker to home plate, things like that," Bouchy added. 

All-in-all the rule changes are a welcomed addition for fans this year who are hoping for more action-packed games. If everything works as planned, we should see more hits, more runs, and a lot more steals.