The match time was reduced by 28 minutes. The effect of improving the rules of the game in the major leagues was noticeable.
The MLB Secretariat has begun revising the rules ahead of the 2023 season. The main points were limiting the defensive shift to increase the number of balls in play, pitch clock to increase the speed of the game, and expansion of the base size to protect runners. Among them, the most eye-catching was the pitch clock.
The pitcher must throw the ball within 15 seconds if there is no runner, and within 20 seconds even if there is a runner. The batter must assume a batting posture unconditionally 8 seconds before the completion of preparation for pitching (7 seconds if there is no runner, 12 seconds if there is no runner). If the pitcher violates the rule, one ball is automatically awarded, and if the batter violates, a strike is automatically awarded. On the 6th of last month, Shohei Ohtani (LA Angels), a pitching player, violated the pitch clock as both pitcher and hitter.
The effect is certain. The Associated Press announced on the 2nd (Korean time) that the average game time per 9 innings after the opening of the MLB was 2 hours and 37 minutes, which was 28 minutes shorter than the same period last year (3 hours and 5 minutes). Pitch clock violations occurred 313 times in a total of 425 games last month, for an average of 0.74 per game.
Time is reset when you check or take your foot off the pitch. However, some players are having trouble adjusting. Although there is a pitch com (electronic equipment that exchanges signs), it is because the pitcher and catcher’s communication time has been shortened. Players with batting or pitching preparation routines suffered measles for changing their habits. Cody Bellinger (Chicago Cubs) violated the pitch clock while taking off his helmet to say hello when the crowd of his home team, the Los Angeles Dodgers, gave him a standing ovation.
MLB also limited the number of checks per base to two. If the runner is not out on the third attempt, a balk is declared and the runner advances automatically. The ban on defensive shifts also reduced the movement time of fielders, resulting in faster game progress. As these provisions were applied along with the pitch clock, unnecessary game time was drastically reduced. The KBO is also positive about introducing pitch clocks. Already, the ’12 second rule (a rule that the pitcher must pitch within 12 seconds when there is no runner)’ has been in use since 2010.
Shift bans and base expansion are also noticeably changing baseball. MLB requires that infielders, except for the pitcher and catcher, cannot leave the infield dirt and stand with two on each side of second base. The base was raised from 15 square inches to 18 square inches to prevent collisions between runners and defenders and shorten the distance between bases. 메이저놀이터
Naturally, hits and stolen bases increased. The batting average of left-handed batters improved from 0.229 to 0.247 during the same period last year, and right-handed hitters rose from 0.234 to 0.250. The in-play batting average also increased. “About 10 hits feels like an advantage,” said left-handed hitter Anthony Rizzo, first baseman for the New York Yankees.
The number of stolen bases, which had declined since the floating ball revolution, increased explosively. This year, it is recording 1.4 per game, up from 1.0 per game last year. The success rate also improved from 75.5% last year to 79.2% this year. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, an official major league statistics company, stolen bases per game are the highest since 1999, and the success rate is the highest in history. Dynamic scenes increased as the utilization of quick players like Bae Ji-hwan of the Pittsburgh Pirates increased. The score also increased by more than 1 point (8.1 points → 9.2 points) from last year.