There was much made before the MLB season began about the length of time it takes to complete a game. So far, there have been plenty of examples of how the new rules have impacted the game, but which teams have had the fastest games in 2023?
As a reminder, the average game in 2022 took three hours and three minutes to complete. Heading into Saturday’s action, the average MLB game in 2023 took just two hours and 38 minutes. That’s a difference of 25 minutes per contest, thanks in part to the implementation of the pitch clock.
MLB news: Which teams have played the longest and shortest games in 2023?
Before Saturday’s play began, the Cleveland Guardians had played the shortest average MLB game in 2023. On average, it took a game involving the Guardians two hours and 33 minutes to complete. The longest? That was the Oakland A’s, who need on average two hours and 47 minutes to complete a contest.
While the A’s may take the longest to finish a game in 2023, it’s still a shorter amount of time (by 16 minutes) than the average time in 2022.
Here is a list of the average game time for each MLB team heading into play on Saturday, May 27.
Cleveland Guardians, 2:33
Pittsburgh Pirates, 2:35
Colorado Rockies, 2:35
Texas Rangers, 2:36
Tampa Bay Rays, 2:36
Milwaukee Brewers, 2:36
Miami Marlins, 2:36
Kansas City Royals, 2:36
Seattle Mariners, 2:37
Detroit Tigers, 2:37
Washington Nationals, 2:38
Minnesota Twins, 2:38
Houston Astros, 2:38
Chicago White Sox, 2:38
Atlanta Braves, 2:38
New York Yankees, 2:39
New York Mets, 2:39
Cincinnati Reds, 2:39
San Francisco Giants, 2:40
Los Angeles Angels, 2:41
Chicago Cubs, 2:41
Los Angeles Dodgers, 2:42
Boston Red Sox, 2:42
St. Louis Cardinals, 2:43
Philadelphia Phillies, 2:43
Toronto Blue Jays, 2:44
Arizona Diamondbacks, 2:44
San Diego Padres, 2:45
Baltimore Orioles, 2:46
Oakland Athletics, 2:47
So whether you’re heading to watch an MLB game in person or watching one on television, know that it’s taking less time this year than in 2022.