Rule changes were made in 2023 by the Major League Baseball (MLB) association as reported by ESPN to further make the game more interesting. Baseball is America’s favorite pastime. every year, new rule changes are proposed to The MLB to keep viewers tuned in and renew competitiveness.
Rule Changes
The rule changed were implemented to make the game less time consuming because the games would last up to 4 hours if they were being dragged out, and because of this people started to lose interest and stopped watching the games.
The first rule added was the universal designated hitter rule. This means that in both the American and National Leagues, the DH rule was now in place. Where the pitcher is not required to bat. While in the MLB, the pitcher was required to bat. The change was meant to improve the quality of batting. and making the game more thrilling for the fans.
Electronic Strike Zone
Another significant change in the 2023 baseball season was the introduction of an electronic strike zone system. It was introduced to help umpires make accurate calls and eliminate human error.
The system uses cameras to track the ball trajectory and determines whether a pitch is a strike or a ball.The umpire still has the authority to overrule the electronic system. But it gives them a more accurate starting point.
There were also changes made to how often relief pitchers could be used. Before, relief pitchers could be used without limit, which slowed the game down and made it less exciting.
In 2023, each club was allowed to use 3 relief pitchers in a game who could only pitch a maximum of one inning each, unless they were already in the middle of an at-bat.
Pitch Clock
To help speed up the game’s pace, a pitch clock was implemented in the 2023 season. The pitch clock means that pitchers have only 20 seconds to throw a pitch, which limits the time they waste between each pitch.
About 90% of both pitchers and position players said they adjusted to the pitch timer within about a month. “Pitch Clock”
Interview
Mr. Bill Reutsch, English teacher and long-time Mets fan, said, “Arbitrary and Artificial, It would’ve been easier to find a way for the batters to step on the base instead of increasing the base sizes. Shouldn’t need a clock either. Doesn’t like the Rules against shifting. Managers should be able to play, they should be able to shift players wherever they want for them to play”.
“When the batters step out of the box so much it takes up a lot of time. So now that the pitch clock was added, it should make the game interesting and less time consuming to watch. Bigger bases could lead to more stolen bases which could make the game more entertaining, ” explained sophomore Dylan Miller.
Conclusion
Finally, 2023 saw an increase in roster size. Clubs were allowed to have up to 28 active players on their roster, which gave more freedom to make substitutions and relieve players.
The changes implemented in the season aimed to create more offense, improve accuracy, and speed up the game and to make games more thrilling for the fans and add more depth to the game. Baseball continues to evolve year after year, but remains a sport that unites generations and provides fun for all.
