The 2023 MLB season isn’t even a week old and we’re already seeing some effects of the new rules. Players have been ejected for arguing after clock violations, the pace of play is up and in turn the length of games is down.
There are going to be plenty of changes this season with the new pitch clock, pitcher disengagement rules, and banning of the shift. The rules were implemented to create more action and it’s doing just that early on.
Former MLB All-Star Bret Boone talked about the new rules and the biggest thing he’s seen thus far on “The Bret Boone Podcast”.
“I think they’re a hit. The thing is in the media, we’ve got to cover these games. In the past, you get home it’s a two o’clock game, you might be taking your kids to the dentist so you can get home a half hour later and it’s the top of the second. Now you miss a half hour, you might’ve missed four innings,” Boone said ( You really got to DVR everything. That’s what I’m noticing.
“These games are going two hours. If it’s a three-hour game, oh my gosh, that would be considered long whereas in the past, that’s considered kind of a swift game, three hours. It’s a little bit of an adjustment from the media side, from the fan side as far as you better get home because you’re going to miss something. But I think so far it’s been a hit.”
Boone was your prototypical second baseman in his day, perhaps with a bit more power. He played great defense as shown by his four Gold Glove awards and was a two-time Silver Slugger. He was never a speedster on the basepaths but Boone foresees stolen bases on the rise with the new pitch clock.
“I think you’re going to see a big difference in the stolen base category,” he said. “The guy like myself when it comes to stealing bases I would steal maybe 10 a year. In a great year, I’d steal 15 but when people paid attention to me, when the pitcher paid attention to me I was staying home. I’m not going anywhere.
“Now if I felt like you’re not paying attention to me, you’re really slow and deliberate to home plate, I might swipe a bag here and there. I think the average base stealer, it’s not going to change with these new rules too much. But the base stealers that do it for a living, what they’re known for, the elite base stealers, I think you’re going to see a lot more stolen bases this year because not only is it a clock but when the clock gets down to three, two, one, that pitcher’s not worried about throwing over. He’s worried about getting this ball to home plate before a clock violation. I think the real base stealers are going to take huge advantage. I think you’re going to see the stolen bases really soar this year.”
We’re already seeing dividends in the stolen base department in the first week of the season. The Orioles lead the league with 11 steals and have yet to be caught stealing. The Diamondbacks, Guardians, and Yankees aren’t far behind them.
Individually, Orioles speedsters Jorge Mateo and Cedric Mullins are tied with Guardians outfielder Myles Straw with four stolen bases in four attempts. Yankees rookie Anthony Volpe is also showing no signs of trouble on the basepaths with three stolen bases through six games.
It certainly looks like stolen bases will indeed soar this season and beyond in today’s MLB.
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