Is the Philadelphia Phillies' Pitch Clock Really Faster Than Everyone Else's?

Philadelphia Phillies players, management and even opposing players are commenting that the clock at Citizens Bank Park is, well, fast.

Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

Can one park’s pitch clock be faster than everyone else’s? The Philadelphia Phillies seem to think so.

The Athletic reported on Friday that date showed exactly that — the Phillies’ pitch clock at Citizens Bank Park appeared to be faster than everyone else’s pitch clock through the first two months of the season.

How was this figured out? Well, first, objective data shows there have been more pitch clock violations at Citizens Bank Park then at any other MLB park. Phillies starter Aaron Nola got two strikeouts during his recent no-hit bid due to third-strike pitch clock violations.

“I think the pitch clock was a little too fast, though,” Nola told The Athletic. “It seems to be that way when we get back home.”

STATS Perform that there is nearly one pitch clock violation per game at Citizens Bank Park so far this season. Next is Chase Field and loanDepot Park, but they’re closer to .75 per game.

Next, there’s more subjective, anecdotal evidence. The players are complaining about it. Pitchers like Matt Strahm have noted that they feel the pitch clocks at other parks are slower. Even the Phillies organization has complained about it to MLB.

That brings up an interesting piece of the puzzle. Objective pitch timer operators rotate throughout MLB’s 30 parks. Theoretically, there would be a small margin of error. But not so drastic that teams would notice.

Turns out after the Phillies’ complaint they went on a road trip and the timer got no better. Per The Athletic:

Once the Phillies returned from a three-city, 10-game road trip earlier this week, the difference in how the clock was run at Citizens Bank Park was stark to the players. This prompted another Phillies inquiry to the league office.

Plus, opposing players are noticing and telling Phillies players about the differences.

So how is this all happening? The Phillies have a theory, including in the article:

The Phillies think the biggest discrepancies in the Citizens Bank Park clock have come after foul balls or other events that stopped play. The league’s rules state that, after a dead ball, the timer is to begin only when the pitcher is in possession of the ball on the dirt of the pitcher’s mound. Clock operators in some ballparks wait until the pitcher is near or on the rubber.

The strange part? The quick clock isn’t impacting the Phillies at home. Going into Friday’s action the Phillies were 17-10 at home and 13-22 on the road. 

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