Major changes coming to MLB in 2023
By David Hill
Major League Baseball has threatened several changes over the years. Now some of those changes will be coming to a ballpark near you.
MLB’s competition committee has voted to institute a pitch clock, limit infield shifting, and institute larger bases beginning in 2023. It is worth noting that the four players on the 11 person committee universally voted against banning the shift and the pitch clock, with the MLBPA stating that the league was “unwilling to meaningfully address the areas of concern the players raised” to explain their votes.
A closer look at the changes coming to MLB in 2023
The idea of larger bases passed unanimously. In theory, this should keep players from getting injured, especially at first base when a runner sprinting down the line could step on the ankle or foot of the first baseman. It should make collisions less likely, especially as injuries at the bases decreased by 13.5% in the minors this season.
The defensive shifts will make a drastic change in the strategy of the game. While they were popularized by the Rays during Joe Maddon’s tenure, they have existed since the time of Cy Williams in the 1920s. Now, the league is making it mandatory that two infielders are on either side of second base when the pitch is released and that they must be in front of the outfield grass. Infielders also cannot switch sides without a substitution. As shifts have increased by six times the amount they were at in 2018, MLB feels that this is a problem.
The pitch clock could make the biggest difference. MLB has bemoaned the pace of play for years and have attempted to find ways to speed up the game. Making pitchers release the ball within 15 seconds, or 20 seconds if there is a baserunner, can make a tremendous difference. In fact, minor league games have decreased by 26 minutes since the pitch clock was implemented, fulfilling that goal of making games shorter.
These changes have been discussed for some time. The minor leagues have been a testing ground over the past couple of years for these ideas, with the results being exactly what the league had hoped for. Now it is time to see if those changes will translate to the majors.
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Major League Baseball will implement several changes for the 2023 season. It will be the same game, but MLB will still be a lot different.