New rules are yet another strikeout for the MLB
By: Thatcher Zalewski
The MLB is implementing some rule changes for the 2023 season: a pitch clock, banning the shift, larger bases and limiting pickoffs. While some may see this as a victory for baseball, others watch as a game of strategy becomes one of pandering to the outside fan.
For starters, baseball was born as a game of approaches and figuring out the best ways to defeat the opposing team. When MLB commissioner Rob Manfred and his team enforce a ban of the shift, a rule that most players are affected by and were against, it doesn’t really help build a good case for this rule. Teams have been maneuvering players across the infield and outfield for years to try and gain the best advantage they could in recording an out. It made the game more strategic, and taking out that strategy will only help players too stubborn to change their swing.
The second rule being implemented is the pitch clock, which is a bizarre rule. Pitchers are used to pitching at their speed and pace since they first picked up a ball. Both pitchers and catchers have to agree on signs faster now. The pitcher will have to speed up his delivery to the plate, which can mess up their mechanics or introduce other factors that could cause even more arm injuries due to mismanaging this pitch clock.
Not only that, but limited pickoffs also take the strategy out of the game. Only allowing two pickoffs per plate appearance doesn’t help fix anything wrong with the game. After the third attempt is unsuccessful, the runner automatically gets the next base. This rule eliminates managers’ ability to buy time for their bullpen to get loose, which sometimes helps in critical situations.
The final rule is the larger bases, which I do not understand the need for. They are supposed to help limit injuries and avoid collisions, but most collisions between players happen at home plate and that is the one base that is being left unchanged. A player colliding with the first baseman only happens on the very rare occasion that an erratic throw is out of their reach. Making the bases larger does not help players make better throws, and it really adds nothing to the game.
All in all, these rule changes are not helping the game of baseball. Rob Manfred continues to fail as the MLB commissioner as he and the Players Association still don’t see eye-to-eye on addressing the main issues with baseball.
New MLB rule changes will decrease game-time and bring fans back to baseball
By: Luke Kotcher
Last Friday, MLB announced that new rules will be implemented in the 2023 season. These changes were long overdue.
The pitch clock has been tested in every minor league ballpark this season. The average time of the game has gone down significantly to just under two hours and 30 minutes. Baseball desperately needed this change for fans to come back to the sport.
A lot of casual fans do not have three or more hours to watch a baseball game every time they go to a ballpark. Minor league players have adjusted to the rule change fairly well, and you can see it in MLB. Any time a minor leaguer is called up to a major league club, you can see how fast they execute a pitch or step into the box.
With the pitch clock added, limited pickoffs were inevitable. It will speed up the game fairly well, and we will not hear as much booing in stadiums.
The ban of defensive shifts is an interesting rule change and probably the most controversial. The big-name left-handed hitter Ryan Howard’s career was practically ruined because of the shift. After Howard’s 45-home run season in 2009, his career slowly began to drop off after putting balls on the ground into the shift. It is clear that hitters cannot adjust from the shift, but we may see better seasons from players like Corey Seager or Anthony Rizzo.
Lastly, the three-inch larger bases might seem odd at first, but they ultimately help with player safety and increase stolen base attempts. It has been proven in the minor leagues that bigger bases reduce collisions around the bag. With that, a level of excitement will be added with increased stolen bases.
If the 120 minor league teams can adjust to these changes, major leaguers will have no problem doing the same. It will obviously take time during spring training and the beginning of the 2023 season to iron out the new changes, but ultimately, MLB needed these rules implemented in their game.
