Rules Changes for 2023 Baseball; They May Relate to a Quicker, More Exciting Game, What's a Balk Again?

Rules Changes for 2023 Baseball; They May Relate to a Quicker, More Exciting Game. What's a Balk Again?

Editor: Just what is a balk again?*

Fans celebrating in 2016, above

https://www.mlb.com/news/mlb-new-rules-for-2023-faq

1) PITCH TIMER

• 15 seconds with bases empty; 20 seconds with runners on

• Hitter gets 1 timeout per plate appearance; must be in batter’s box with 8 seconds left

• Pitchers get two disengagements (pickoff attempts or step-offs) per batter; violations are a balk

• Limits on pickoff attempts led to 26% increase in stolen base attempts in Minors

• Pitch timer helped reduce game length by 25 minutes in Minors in ‘22

2) SHIFT RESTRICTIONS

• Two infielders must be positioned on either side of 2B when pitch is released

• All four infielders must have both feet within the infield when pitcher is on rubber

• Shift restrictions increased batting average and decreased strikeouts in Minors while giving players more opportunity to show off their athleticism

3) BIGGER BASES

• 1B, 2B and 3B increased from 15” square to 18” square

• Bigger bases expected to have positive impact on player safety

• Distance reduced by 3" from home to 1st and home to 3rd, reduced by 4.5" from 1st to 2nd and 2nd to 3rd

• Bigger bases reduced injury events near the bases by more than 13% in the Minors in 2022

*Balk:

Definition. A balk occurs when a pitcher makes an illegal motion on the mound that the umpire deems to be deceitful to the runner(s). As a result, any men on base are awarded the next base, and the pitch (if it was thrown in the first place) is waved off for a dead ball