There is not a sport going through more change right now than professional baseball. In the past 10 years there have been many proposed/ implemented MLB rules changes. Let’s take a look at some of these changes and see if they are good, bad or Ugly.
Universal DH:
The designated hitter position has been a staple in American League lineups for more than 45 years. It has allowed guys like Edgar Martinez and David Ortiz to carve out hall of fame careers without touching their glove. I think having DH in one league gives the American League an unfair advantage in free agency, as it allow teams to sign older players or big bats without having to play them in the field. Another advantage to the DH is being able to use the position as a sort of rest, without actually taking your best players out of the lineup. DH makes offenses better, takes a huge injury risk away from pitchers and keeps the best players in the game, there is no reason the NL should not have the DH.
Verdict – Good, should have already existed
Runner on 2nd in extras:
This rule has offenses start with a runner on second during extra innings. It was created to speed the game up, and while I could write how the length of the game is not a problem, i am more concerned that this rule straight up makes games longer. I have witnessed firsthand games going to the 18th inning because all teams do is sac bunt the runner to third, and then just make contact to send them home. This rule has taken a lot of the excitement out of extras as now it is just a war of sacrifice hits. I amazed the MLB let this rule come out of the think tank let alone approve it.
Verdict- Ugly, does the opposite of what it was meant to do
Banning of the Shift:
I’m not one to protest sports, but if the shift gets banned I’d give up on the MLB. Sports is all about exploiting weaknesses and adaptability, to take away the strategy of defense in baseball would be catastrophic. Many of the players that complain about shift are one dimensional home run or nothing players. A good majority of the quality hitters in the league can either hit around the shift or have enough respect that defenses play straight up on them.
Verdict- Ugly, possibly the worst proposed rule change in sports.
Twenty-Six Man Roster:
Rosters were expanded by a player after the Covid-19 pandemic, and I have been a big fan of this rule. While some teams opted to use the extra spot for another pitcher, I think where this rule really shines is in being able to have another bench player, especially in the American League. The old three man bench that most American League teams use left your options limited for late game adjustments . Now teams are able to keep that pitch runner or pitch hitter on the roster and still have the fielding pieces they need off the bench. The creativity with this rule is unlimited. Expanded rosters also makes extra inning games faster, as now it is easier to create runs with your substitute players by either putting a faster player or better hitter in.
Verdict- Good, 26 is the perfect number.
Pitch Clock
This rule gets a lot of hate, however I think it’s a decent idea. I love a lot of the parts of the game that make it “slow” however there is no fun in watching the pitcher play with his hat and stare down the batter for 45 minutes in between pitches. My only problem with this rule is it’s not really enforced that much. I’ve seen many times where the clock has hit 0 and nothing happens. It is hard to judge the rule when it’s not actually being implemented like it should. It has been one of the MLB’s better attempts to speed the game up, they just need to enforce it the right way.
Verdict – Good, just enforce it properly.
Instant Intentional Walk
This has to be one of the most pointless rule changes I have ever seen. Created to speed the game up, instead of throwing 4 balls to intentionally walk a batter, you now just notify the umpire that the batter can take first. My big issue with this rule is that eliminates some of the penalties that comes with an intentional walk.
It keeps the pitchers pitch count the same, and there is no room for any type of human error any more. I remember a few years ago Dellin Betances air mailed a pitch on an intentional walk and ended up giving up a run. Just being able to freely give bases without doing anything eliminates many exciting things that could possibly happen. My other gripe with this rule is that intentional walks have nothing to do with the speed of the game. Teams opt to walk someone maybe once every 10 games and that is being generous.
Verdict- Bad, not ugly just because it happens so rarely.
Final Thought : Stop Speeding up Perfection
Many of the rule changes above have the goal of speeding baseball up. Besides the long delay in between pitches, game speed is fine. People who enjoy baseball are not going to care if a game lasts three hours or one. People who do not like Baseball are not going to suddenly gravitate towards the game because it is shorter. The MLB rules changes should focus more on league parity and player/fan safety. In the end, just let Baseball be Baseball.
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