Los Angeles Angels No. 17 Shohei Ohtani comes off the field during the fifth round against the Houston Astros at Anaheim’s Angel Stadium on September 3, 2022 in Anaheim, California.
Meg Oliphant | beautiful pictures
MLB has passed a number of rule changes for the 2023 season aimed at increasing the speed of play and increasing safety in games, according to a Friday rplease from the league.
The League will introduce time-limited clocks between hitters and between pitches, limiting defensive shifts and increasing the size of bases next season.
The announcement was made after reports that the tournament had Struggling to get attendance rates above pre-pandemic levels. MLB is also looking to expand its audience through streaming, such as with deal with Apple TV +.
The rule changes in recent years were similarly made to increase the appeal of the game, like starting each extra time with a man on the base.
The new rules include a 30-second timer to speed up the time between matches. Throwers will have 15 seconds between throws when the sole is empty, but for runners on the field, that time increases to 20 seconds.
If a pitcher violates the time, he will be charged an automatic ball. If a batter violates the limit, he will be charged an automatic warning.
The defensive transition rule change is an attempt to increase the average hit on balls put into play, especially from hitters who tend to hit mostly to one side of the court. The rule keeps four domestic players in the field and prevents them from switching sides. The limit will allow more offensive action and force the defense to do more sports.
MLB is also increasing the size of the base from 15 square inches to 18 square inches. This gives the people in the field more distance between themselves and the runners to reduce collisions.
This change also reduces the base-to-base distance by 4.5 inches.
