On the heels of Thursday’s reports that there’d be more alterations to “America’s Pastime” in 2024, Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) Executive Director Tony Clark released a statement, expressing the group’s displeasure with the news.
In an effort to further speed up the game, changes include two seconds being shaved off the pitch clock when runners are on base and fewer mound visits being permitted.
In early September, it was reported that despite numerous requests from players, MLB wouldn’t be making any changes to the pitch clock rules for the playoffs.
The 2023 campaign was the first year that MLB used pitch clocks (after years of testing at the minor league level). Pitches were required to be thrown within 15 seconds when the bases were empty and 20 seconds when runners were aboard.
Multiple reports throughout the summer showed that the rule changes were impacting the game as planned, drastically reducing the number of contests that went over three hours.
