Major League Baseball to use several experimental rules in fewer leagues this season

Major League Baseball on Thursday set out a series of experimental rules it plans to implement this season at various league levels, including banning some forms of defensive shifts, more games controlled by an electronic hitting zone, a clock of 15 seconds, which limits the resultant movements. and larger bases.

The rule changes, announced by the league in anticipation of a minor league season expected to begin in May, will be studied for possible acceptance into the major leagues. The league has hired a number of hires, including former Chicago Cubs president Theo Epstein as a consultant in hopes of improving its product on the field.

Each level of the newly built smaller leagues, which falls under MLB control and will rise from 162 teams to 120, will have a twist in the game. The most radical is at Double-A, where four inside shooters must be instructed to have both feet on the inside dirt, preventing the extreme shifts from causing players to move from the left side of the field to the short right field. Depending on the results, the league said, the second half of the season could see a more extreme version of the rule: two fielders on either side of the second base bag.

The league was shameless in its statement for the rule: “These restrictions on defensive positioning are meant to increase the batting average on balls in play.”

Teams in the low-A-Southeastern league – formerly the Florida State League – will use ABS (automatic ball strike system) in ‘select games’ with the hope of determining ‘the optimal hitting zone for the system’. The electronic system, used in the Arizona Fall League and independent Atlantic League in 2019, will undergo a change: Instead of using a three-dimensional zone that covers the entire plate, it will trigger balls and strikes based on a two-dimensional plane in front of the plate.

Another low-lying A-League, the West, will work under a 15-second clock. MLB and the players’ association have discussed the implementation of a tone clock and will probably be part of a broader discussion on new rules with the collective bargaining agreement that expires on 1 December.

Increasing offense is definitely part of the calculation of a low-A-wide rule: Jars can only pass twice at a time or turn off the rubber. If they do it a third time and do not catch a runner, a beam will be called and the runners will progress on the base. Depending on the results, the output / reduction can be reduced to one per plate.

The new rule in high-A is also likely to have a demonstrable effect on stolen bases: throwers have to step off the rubber before throwing to the first base, which eliminates the starting point for many left-handed pitchers who use the result. MLB implemented the rule in the second half of 2019 in the Atlantic League and saw the stolen base efforts jump by 70% with a jump in the success rate. Although the stolen base has been withdrawn by teams it is not worth risking, the new rules are likely to change that.

The final rule is at the highest level, Triple-A: bases will be three inches longer on each side. Currently, the leading edge of the first base sits 88 feet, 9 inches from the home plate. It will move up to 88 feet, 6 inches; the distance between first and second, and second and third, will also decrease. As a result, MLB said: “a modest impact on the success rate of stolen base attempts and the frequency with which a victim runs on baseballs and fur attempts.” MLB also hopes that larger bases will allow fewer injuries on collisions at the bag.