Inside The Cubs

Report: MLB Competition Committee Votes to Implement New Rules in 2023

MLB's competition committee has approved new rules that will be implemented at the start of the 2023 season.

Kade Kistner

Report: MLB Competition Committee Votes to Implement New Rules in 2023
Report: MLB Competition Committee Votes to Implement New Rules in 2023 /
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The Major League Baseball competition committee has voted on and approved new rules that will begin in the 2023 MLB season according to ESPN's Jeff Passan.

The new rules include implementing a 15-second pitch clock when there are no runners on base, which increases to 20 seconds when there are runners on the base paths.

It also bans the defensive shift, which will force teams to have two fielders on either side of second base and they must have both feet on the dirt. 

This comes as MLB tries to increase the pace of play and shorten games in order to make the game more "watchable" and addresses concerns for the amount of time players are spent on the diamond.

The defensive shift has also been a concern to many as it pertains to fairness in the game. While proponents of the shift claim players should be able to hit to all sides of the field, there is an absurdity having nearly all players on one side of the field or effectively four outfielders. 

However, in a statement from the MLB Player's Association, all player representatives voted "no" for these rule implementations.

These changes have been coming down the pipeline for years and they will not finally be implemented into the game starting next year.

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Kade Kistner
KADE KISTNER

Kade Kistner is the publisher and beat writer for Sports Illustrated's Inside the Cubs. An alumnus of Tulane University, Kade graduated in 2017 with a degree in Latin American Studies and a minor in Spanish. Upon graduation, Kade commissioned into the United States Navy and attended Naval Flight School in Pensacola, Fl. He served as a Naval Aviator and was stationed in Jacksonville, Fl. During his time in school and the Navy, Kade began covering the MLB and NFL with USA Today, SB Nation, and Sports Illustrated. Kade covered the New Orleans Saints, Texas Rangers, and numerous other teams within the Sports Illustrated network before launching Inside the Phillies, Inside the Astros, and Inside the Cubs. You can follow him on Twitter at @KadeKistner, or if you have any questions or comments he can be reached via email at kwkistner@gmail.com.

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