Through the first two months of the season, Major League Baseball's rules changes worked exactly as hoped.
Game times were down, stolen bases were up, batting average had increased and violations were limited. While players and managers have expressed mixed feelings about the rules changes, from the league's perspective, everything is going brilliantly.
"I think the thing that's been surprising for us is how gracefully the players and umpires have adjusted to habits that have been formed over decades in a matter of weeks," MLB executive vice president of baseball operations Morgan Sword said.
"They're playing a brand of baseball that looks the way baseball looked 40 years ago. And it's amazing to watch." The rules changes-most notably the pitch clock, shift restrictions and pickoff limitations-were tested extensively throughout the minor leagues the last two years. Through the early part of this season, they had more or less transitioned seamlessly to the majors.
First and foremost is the pitch clock.
The average game time was 2 hours, 37 minutes through the end of May. That's 29 minutes shorter than the 3:06 average game time in 2022.
That figure is in line with the 26 minutes that were shaved off of the average game time when the pitch clock was implemented at all full-season levels of the minors in 2022.
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Esta historia es de la edición June - July 2023 de Baseball America.
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Wood Has Towering Upside- Nationals rookie James Wood also stands 6-foot-7 and also has game-changing power.
Aaron Judge and Oneil Cruz are 6-foot7 sluggers who stand out for their power in this year’s MLB Best Tools voting. Wood spent half of this season with Triple-A Rochester before making his MLB debut on July 1. While he was in the International League, he captured managers’ attention. Wood unanimously won Best Power Prospect and also claimed Most Exciting Player in a survey of league skippers. Wood hit .353/.463/.595 with 10 home runs in 52 games for Rochester. His .242 isolated slugging was the best for a player 21 or younger at Triple-A this season.
ROAD BLOCK?
Scholarship expansion puts mid-majors at a major disadvantage on the road to Omaha
ROYALS REVIVAL
A revamped and rejuvenated farm system has Kansas City ready to rebound
SUMMER STANDOUTS
The top prospects in summer college leagues are poised to impact the 2025 draft
FLORIDA COMPLEX LEAGUE TOP 10
Last year’s Florida Complex League prospect crop has been beset by lengthy injuries to many of its top players, including Yankees pitchers Henry Lalane and Carlos Lagrange, Mets infielder Marco Vargas and Red Sox catcher Johanfran Garcia.
IN WITH THE NEW
The 2024 draft is in the books. The trade deadline is history.
WALCOTT BLASTS OFF
It took some time for Rangers shortstop Sebastian Walcott to find his footing at High-A Hickory.
A RECORD NIGHT FOR COLLEGIANS
Four key takeaways from the 2024 draft
K.C.MASTERPIECE
Shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. wins games for the Royals with his bat, glove, speed and baseball IQ. He might be the most tooled-up player in the game.
HOW THE MAJORS HAVE CHANGED FOR YOUNG PLAYERS
When negotiating the 2022 Collective Bargaining Agreement, the MLB Players Association prioritized the earning power of young major league players, especially young stars.
