The MLB season is officially underway, and it is unlike any the game has ever seen.
That is because of some of the rule changes for the 2023 season.
Among a few different changes, the most impactful is the new pitch clock.
Most baseball fans love watching the games, but that does not mean they want to sit there for 4+ hours.
Through the first two days of the new season, the pitch clock has worked to perfection.
The games are slower than in years past, and the pace of play is keeping fans engaged.
Hall of Fame pitcher John Smoltz says the pitch clock is the “greatest thing” to happen to the sport.
John Smoltz is a fan of all the rule changes coming to the MLB:
“The pitch clock is the greatest thing that’s going to happen to the sport.” pic.twitter.com/zuxZhQPndl
— The Carton Show (@TheCartonShow) March 31, 2023
The MLB has been looking to increase baseball popularity around the world.
Speeding the games up and taking away some of the lulls should continue to keep fans’ eyes on the field.
According to Codify, the average Opening Day games even finished up in under three hours.
Average length of an MLB team’s 1st regular season game:
2021 —-> 3 hours, 32 minutes
2022 —-> 3 hours, 17 minutes
2023 —-> 2 hours, 45 minutes— Codify (@CodifyBaseball) March 31, 2023
As the season goes on, the players should get more used to the newest change.
While we have seen a couple of pitcher-and-hitter violations, those should die down as we get further into the season.
This new rule is great for baseball and attendance should be up this year as the games go faster.
It may have taken a while, but the MLB has finally found a way to keep people engaged in this great sport.
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