"2030: pitch clock reduced to 7 seconds" "It’s getting worse" - MLB's rule changes for 2024 causes meltdown among baseball fans

News of the MLB making some changes to the rules for the 2024 season has caused a meltdown on social media. The changes include a reduction of the pitch clock from 20 to 18 seconds, mound visits reduced from five to four per game, a widening of the runner's lane and a pitcher warm-up rule.

These have not all been well-received by fans, who point to the mounting injuries to pitchers and the length of games getting shorter and shorter.

Fans tweeted on X, complaining that the situation was getting out of control.

Many pointed out the risk this poses to pitchers, resulting in more injuries.

It will be interesting to see if the MLB Competition Committee, which has made these changes, will consider the outcry from fans.

MLB rule changes will hit pitchers hard in 2024 season

Minnesota Twins v Detroit Tigers

Before the 2023 season, the MLB announced some rule changes, the two most talked-about being a pitch clock of 20 seconds and bigger bases.

The pitch clock rule was to shorten the length of games, which many felt were dragging on for too long. While they were successful in speeding up games, the MLB thinks the pitch clock needs further reduction.

There will not be any changes to the clock when the bases are empty, so pitchers will still have 15 seconds to start their delivery. MLB stats show pitchers had an average of 7.3 seconds left on the timer when they began their deliveries last season.

This rule might not result in a noticeable change to game length, as pitchers might begin deliveries with less time left on the clock. Whether that will be the case is another story.

The warm-up rule is interesting. A pitcher sent to the bullpen to warm up for an inning is now required to pitch to a batter. This is due to instances in 2023 where a pitcher was replaced between innings without throwing a pitch, resulting in a few minutes of dead time. This minor clock-saving change will result in more thought being put into warm-ups.

A change has been made to the timer after a dead ball. It will only reset once the pitcher is given a new one. Pitchers do not need to be on the mound for the clock to reset, meaning a pitcher's ability to delay a restart has been removed.

With mound visits being reduced from five to four per game, teams should manage their pitchers slightly differently. They will find it harder to communicate changes or instructions to the mound. This is another time-saving rule change.