Major League Baseball is implementing three significant rule changes this season that the league says will make games faster-paced with more action. But will these new rules change the history of the game?
Among the major differences coming this season are pitch timers of 15 seconds when the bases are empty and 20 when there is a man on; shift restrictions that require two infielders be on each side of 2nd base and that infielders have both feet on dirt when the pitch is released; and larger bases that have three inches added to their width.
The league first implemented its new rules in the minors, testing to see the effect they would have on the game.
The positives of the rule changes included an increase in action for fans, which is expected to bring back viewership that has been down as of late, with last year’s World Series drawing one of the lowest ratings on record, according to The Athletic.
However, the rule changes could have an adverse effect on pitchers and pitching records, pushing those often sought-after milestones too far to obtain.
In the 2018 MLB season, the average pitch count for all situations was 23.8 seconds, according to Society for American Baseball Research. Going further, when the bases were empty, the average time was 20.3 seconds, and with a man on first, it was 28.4 seconds.
With the analytics era of baseball seeing pitchers leave games earlier than ever before, the loss of five seconds on average could throw another wrench into a pitcher’s performance and their ability to break records.
Among the most exciting achievements to see in sports is a pitcher throwing a perfect game, no-hitter, or complete game. But with less time on the mound and batters becoming better in the box, the number of pitchers who can go the distance has drastically changed in the last 100 years.
For example, in 1922, the AL complete games leader was Chiacago’s Red Faber with 31, and the NL’s was Pittsburgh’s Wilbur Cooper with 27.
In 2022, the AL leader was Houston’s Framber Valdez with three complete games, and the NL’s was Miami’s Sandy Alcantara with six, which was the most by one pitcher since Chris Sale had six in 2016. In fact, only two other pitchers, Justin Verlander and Clayton Kershaw, have achieved six or more in the last decade.
Allowing a pitcher less time between pitches could not only affect the physical part of the game but also the mental, resulting in fewer exciting games from the mound. But in a world of hitting highlights, this could be what the league is going for, meaning fans of a pitcher’s battle may have to take a backseat.
When it comes to watching perfection, the league has been starved as of late, with the last perfect game coming from Félix Hernández in 2012, a year that saw three. While there have been years without them before, this is the longest dry spell since Catfish Hunter threw one in 1968 and then Len Barker in 1981.
Sports have always had their unobtainable records, and while the NBA’s all-time scoring leader has recently changed, records held by all-time greats like Cy Young continue to become even more cemented as the league changes and rules adapt to the modern era.
Currently, and forever, Young holds the complete game record with 749. The next closest active player is 40-year-old Adam Wainwright, who has played 17 seasons and amassed 28 in his career.
Other notable achievements that will be tougher to hit include Nolan Ryan’s 5,714 strikeouts, as the next closest active pitcher is Justin Verlander, who sits 2,516 strikeouts back, and Young’s over 7,000 innings pitch, a record that’s top 100 list only has one active player, Zach Greinke at 99.
Even though it isn’t known how it will affect the game in the majors, the addition of a pitching clock will change how pitchers, catchers, and managers approach the upcoming season. And it will also change how future all-time greats fall into the ranks of being considered Hall of Famers.
But the real question that arises from this is, does anyone care?
Baseball is in a tough spot as it continues to lose out to at least two of the other four major sports in North America. Even though it was once America’s pastime, the NFL and NBA have continued to grow their younger fanbase, while the MLB has remained somewhat stagnant despite boasting to "let the kids play."
With over 100 years of history, some records were already unobtainable before the league decided to give pitchers a kick in the pants and tell them to hurry it up when throwing their 100.8 mph breaking balls — looking at you Jhoan Duran.
So, while some who love and cherish the history of the sport will have to deal with an average of 38 minutes of less baseball per game this upcoming season, the increased action could make for some fun games that inevitably help keep baseball going for the next 100 years.
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