MLB 1st-Half Rules Rewind

July 17, 2023 MLB 1st-Half Rules Rewind

By: Carlos Alvarez

An In-Depth Look at How New Rules Have Changed Baseball in 2023 

When the MLB announced their (several) rule changes earlier this year, opinions on it were spread thin. Casual fans welcomed the rule changes in the name of a quicker game. When I say casual fans, I’m referring to the people who complain that baseball is too long or too boring.

 

Whenever I hear that rhetoric, my response is always the same: If you’re looking for something fast-paced and dynamic, try basketball. Baseball isn’t for everyone, and that’s okay. But baseball is for some: the Philadelphia kid whose entire bedroom is dedicated to the Phillies, the guy with the life-sized cardboard cutout of Mike Trout in his basement, and the sweet grandmother who’d never miss a Guardians home game. These people are the baseball purists, otherwise known as the ones who are outraged over the alteration of baseball as we knew it. After the initial shock of the new rules receded, fans took to denial, anger and bargaining. This couldn’t be the fate of America’s pastime, could it?

 

In the grieving process, somewhere after denial comes acceptance, whether we like it or not. Now, we are in the thick of the 2023 MLB season. So how are these rule changes holding up? Have they changed the game of baseball as we know it? Not completely. Have they accomplished what they set out to do? Also, not completely. Let\’s look at how the 2023 rule changes have impacted baseball so far.

 

Steals Are Going Up

As part of the new rules, the MLB decided to expand the bases by three inches. Each of the bases are now 18 inches, while home plate remains unchanged at 17 inches. Bigger bases equals more steals, and who doesn’t want that? But the MLB made the change for a different reason: The goal of the resizing was to help prevent dangerous collisions between players by allowing more room.

 

However, the secondary goal has proved to be the headline of the rule change, as collisions continue to plague the MLB while the amount of stolen bases has skyrocketed. Last year, the total number of stolen bases in the MLB was 2,487. This year, it is 1,957, and it’s only July. There\’s still nearly 40 percent of the season to be played. Assuming the league maintains this rate, the number of stolen bases will nearly total 3,500 by the end of the season. Since the resizing of the bases, stolen bases are at their highest rate per game since 1992.

 

But does base expansion change the game of baseball? Short answer: Definitely. More bases being stolen is a huge factor in management and strategy for virtually every team now. It’s a different game to watch and certainly a different game to play with this change in action. The bigger bases affect everyone either positively or negatively, leaving players with two options: Live by the stolen base or die by the stolen base.

 

Ban of the Shift is Healing

The new ban on the shift rule states that the defense must have at least four players in the infield with two on either side of second base. The goal of this rule is double-sided: to improve batting averages and to encourage better defensive plays. However, like the larger bases, the goal in mind wasn’t quite accomplished. Sure, both of these rules produced changes in the game – just not the ones the MLB had in mind. Currently, the MLB-wide batting average is .248. The 2022 batting average was .243. So, technically yes, the batting average went up. But not by a significant margin. It could just as easily go down by the end of the season and be worse than in 2022. However, from a midseason evaluation standpoint, the ban of the shift hasn’t exactly set the world on fire in terms of batting average.

 

Though batting averages remains more or less static, the ban on the shift has consequences for the game of baseball. In previous years, when the shift was alive and well, it took more than 2,000 hits out of play. Now more than ever, defense is dependent on raw athleticism and training rather than strategy. Players can no longer clump together to defend a hard-hit ground ball. The pressure is on one person, and the result is dependent on their athleticism. This is one of the few rules that is actually trying to restore the tradition of baseball and combat defensive loopholes.

 

Pitch Clock Controversy

The pitch clock is possibly the most controversial of the rule changes. Baseball used to be a game that you’d watch and lose track of time. I remember attending a game in Cleveland a few years ago, and I was shocked to see they put up a big clock showing the time. Personally, I loved losing track of time at a baseball game. I loved sitting down, watching the game and leaving the field wondering how three hours had passed already. Needless to say, when the pitch clock was introduced, I wasn’t a fan. I know that I was not in the minority there; most baseball fans felt that the introduction of the pitch clock was ruining the tradition of the game.

 

In case you need a refresher, the new rule requires a 15-second timer between pitches with the bases empty and a 20-second timer when there are runners on base. If the pitcher is not in motion by the time the timer reaches zero, it is an automatic ball. The rule change affects batters too: If a batter is not ready and in the box by the time the timer reaches eight seconds, it is an automatic strike. Under this new rule, pitchers are also limited to only two disengagements – a change that also left fans stunned. If the pitcher attempts a third disengagement (a pickoff attempt or step-off) before any runner advances, the runner is able to advance one base.

 

The disengagement limit coupled with bigger bases yields only one sure result: more stolen bases. Pitchers are already wary of steals due to the new 18-inch bags, and now they have to be diligent about when they can attempt to pick a runner off. Otherwise, they may end up advancing a runner while actively trying to stop a steal. By not attempting a third disengagement, you actually have to make the runner work for their steal.

 

Let’s evaluate this rule in terms of MLB’s goal. The purpose of adding the pitch clock was to quicken the pace of play by reducing the amount of time between pitches. Drumroll, please. The pitch clock is actually fulfilling its purpose. This season, games are nearly 30 minutes shorter on average than in 2022. Of course, it’s not foolproof. Sometimes the pitch clock actually adds time to the games depending on arguments over violations among players, managers, and umpires. The new addition has also stripped the leisurely nature of baseball, but that’s beside the point of its institution. Putting opinions aside and viewing this through a lens of midseason evaluation only, this rule change has accomplished its primary purpose.

 

Looking Toward October

The season is just over halfway through, so a lot remains to be seen with these new rule changes. Maybe the number of collisions will dramatically decrease. Perhaps the MLB batting average will soar and lend credence to the ban of the shift. We’ve already seen a drastic change in the pace of play and the number of steals this season; so, who’s to say the other changes won’t produce similar results?

 

We’ve gotten over the initial hump of these rule changes, and we’re finally all well-adjusted. Now comes the true test: October. The first postseason and World Series will be played under the MLB’s new terms and conditions. Obviously, they have already had major implications for the regular season. But postseason baseball is where all the fun lies. It will be interesting to see how teams respond and create their playoff strategies in terms of these changes.

 

Who knows? Maybe a pitch clock violation or stolen base will end up deciding the World Series. Rules are made to be broken, but not these. They\’ll be part of baseball for the long run.

 

Photo: Icon Sportswire / Getty Images