The MLB Competition Committee voted on Friday to make some rules changes that will take effect in the 2023 season.
A pitch clock and banning the defensive shift were two of biggest changes, to help the games pace and increase action. The committee composed of six ownership-level representatives, four players and one umpire, approved a pitch clock of 15 seconds with empty bases and 20 seconds with runners on, a defensive alignment that must include two fielders on each side of the second-base bag with both feet on the dirt as well as rules limiting pickoff moves and expanding the size of bases. The vote was not unanimous. Player representatives voted no on the shift and pitch-clock portions of changes.
The pitch clock is strict. The catcher must be in position when the timer hits 10 seconds, the hitter must be have both feet in the batter’s box and be “alert” at the 8-second mark and the pitcher must start his “motion to pitch” by the expiration of the clock. A violation by the pitcher is an automatic ball. One by the hitter constitutes an automatic strike.
The banning of defensive shifts, which were once a fringe strategy but have become normal occurrence and the bane of left-handed hitters, is among the more extreme versions, preventing defensive player movement in multiple directions. With all four infielders needing to be on the dirt, the days of the four-outfielder setup will be over. Even more pertinent, shifting an infielder to play short right field, or simply overshifting three infielders to the right side of the second-base bag, will no longer be legal. The position of defensive players can be reviewed — and, if a defense is deemed illegal, the batting team can choose to accept the outcome of the play or take an automatic ball instead.
In a statement Friday, the Major League Baseball Players Association explained why players on the competition committee voted unanimously against the implementation of the pitch clock and banning of the shift. “Player leaders from across the league were engaged in on-field rules negotiations through the Competition Committee, and they provided specific and actionable feedback on the changes proposed by the Commissioner’s Office,” the statement read. “Major League Baseball was unwilling to meaningfully address the areas of concern that Players raised, and, as a result, Players on the Competition Committee voted unanimously against the implementation of the rules covering defensive shifts and use of pitch timer.” Meanwhile, the bases will increase from 15 to 18 square inches, with expectations that the larger size reduces collisions around the bag along with slightly shortening the distance between bases.
