MLB’s New Pitch Clock Is the Best Thing Ever

Mar 10

This is Rockies Pitch, a biweekly newsletter about the Colorado Rockies. Please consider subscribing and sharing this link with a friend.

I’ve been enthusiastic about the pitch clock since I started writing about baseball. I liked it then, and watching it work for the last two weeks has only made my commitment more steadfast. Games in under three hours? Awesome!

Consider the difference as detailed by Jeff Passan:

Jeff Passan @JeffPassan

Spring training 2022 vs. 2023 Time of game 2022: 3:01 2023: 2:36 Runs/game 2022: 10.6 2023: 11 SB attempt/game 2022: 1.6 2023: 2.4 BABIP on groundballs 2022: .235 2023: .258 Strikeout rate 2022: 23.9% 2023: 23.1% More singles, stolen bases and runs — and 25 minutes faster.

Shorter games? More runs? More stolen bases? Fewer strikeouts? Count me in.

JJ Cooper @jjcoop36

Quick thread. We are getting some very useful A/B testing on pitch clocks thanks to the WBC exhibition games. Venezuela/Houston (no pitch clock rules) 17 runs, 22 hits, 2 errors, 97 TBF. 3:45 Cincinnati/San Diego (pitch clock) 19 runs, 24 hits, 4 errors, 85 TBF. 2:43.

That’s not to say that everyone shares my enthusiasm. My Twitter feed has a consistent chorus of folks who see the pitch clock as, well, ruining the game. They argue that it violates the spirit of the sport, which inherently does not have a timer. In addition, the subtle battles between pitcher and catcher lose some of their intensity when an outside force is controlling the action.

For example, former Rockies pitcher Mark Knudson has very strong feelings:

Mark Knudson @MarkKnudson41

Knudson's Korner: MLB pitch clock rule is the wrong solution to slow pace woodypaige.com/mlb-pitch-cloc… @MannyOnMLB @harding_at_mlb @psaundersdp @PatrickDLyons @DrewCreasman

woodypaige.comMLB pitch clock rule is the wrong solution to slow paceMLB’s new pitch clock rule: Expecting the same performance and results while eliminating the time players need to prepare to do it. There’s a better way.

If you’ve been reading my work at all, you know that I’m not a traditionalist. Things change, and I’m always open to the possibilities. For me, the pitch clock falls into that category.

I have only recently come to realize how much of my life I have spent watching Charlie Blackmon step out of the box, readjust his batting gloves, and then step back into the box. Reader, I’ve got to say that I don’t miss it.

I felt pretty clear about this before the World Baseball Classic started this week, but it didn’t take me long to realize that I had fully converted: I missed the pitch clock.

Codify @CodifyBaseball

Panama 12, Chinese Taipei 5 4 hours, 2 minutes

Is it perfect? No. There are still some inconsistencies in its application, but everyone is learning — that’s the purpose of Spring Training.

But for me, the game lost none of its drama in reducing those extra seconds and minutes. From a narrative standpoint, the action keeps moving without interruption, so I’m less apt to be distracted. Rather, I’m focused on the game because I don’t have time to check something else.

Plus, not sitting up until 1:00 am to watch those games in San Francisco is going to rule.