Is MLB About To Change The Rules Again?

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[@Wgraz25]

Okay, I’m dead serious about this. MLB Network NEEDS to hire this man.

[@ChorizoMLB]

Like it up

[@thatroccotaco]

Fr

[@TheBrainSpecialist]

Given other baseball channels issues with copyright of footage and stuff, it probably won't happen. Like, for example, there is this small channel covering Japanese baseball called Gaijin Baseball, the dude had gotten on to one half NPB's official English streams on KZbin as a commentator. Then they found out he was using their footage in his videos and he was booted off the broadcast, even though everything he did was protected by fair use. I don't know how much difference there is in terms of copyright law, but we may be seeing the same thing here.

[@dandillon3401]

But MLB network doesn't exist

[@juanpabloruiz4652]

Yes he is meant to be there

[@foolerodman9991]

The more I learn about baseball, the more I feel like I'm watching a lawsuit session where all the players are trying to find loopholes to support their claims. Amazing

[@orsomethingorno]

An incredible amount of this could be mitigated by simply allowing umpires reasonable discretion to not strictly apply rules where it is manifestly absurd (e.g. when the audience is giving a massive round of applause, which, surprise, may not always be something that should be predicted). Precedents would develop and common sense can be applied. But no, American sports can't stand the idea of asking officials to apply discretion to individual circumstances. The rules have to be a straitjacket rather than a framework.

[@tpotshax8703]

@@orsomethingorno I would love to live in a world where everyone had the same definition of "common sense" and bad umpires didn't exist.

[@wompastompa3692]

You know, the more I hear about this baseball thing, the less I care for it.

[@Slayer8957]

@@orsomethingorno there are too many shitty umpires to give them that level of discretion.

[@evilotto9200]

- play the game - game the system both are still baseball if baseball existed

[@kingredbeard8383]

MLB could multiply their number of viewers and fans ten-fold without any rule changes simply by increasing the number of home games that can be watched on ordinary broadcast television.

[@19MAD95]

A make a ticket + hotdog + drink combo not be the same as a down payment of a home.

[@nathanchildress5596]

That’s such a great idea you know they’ll never go for it.

[@imrustyokay]

Or streaming. Seriously tho, that's an amazing idea that would likely go nowhere

[@johncassani6780]

When I was a kid, close to half of all Red Sox games were on channel 38 in Boston, which was a super station until the late ‘80s. Certainly, many more people watched back then, but there was way less revenue for the club. Selling tv ads to local companies doesn’t bring in big money. Ultimately, the game has changed as more money has been invested in it, and it hasn’t changed for the better. Players are much stronger, and more skilled without a doubt. But it’s not as good for the fan, and the drop in popularity over the years reflects it.

[@Schneltor]

@@johncassani6780 Growing up in Cincinnati, it was the same with our channel 5. I remember Joe Morgan was the announcer and he said, all the time, "Slow motion makes every check swing look like a strike." He was pretty close to the mark on that.

[@KidFresh71]

The real-time replays in tennis are very engaging to the crowd. Hope this style is implemented in MLB. Teams shouldn't be punished by human error on the home plate umpire's behalf.

[@kid31989]

It is time for robotic pitch calling. I have spent time behind the plate as an umpire in games just for fun, and it sucks. Watching the ball is so boring and there is so much going on around you. I understand it may be easier for some, but even the best make mistakes, sometimes at inopportune moments. Lasers and cameras do not make mistakes.

[@Tostky]

@@kid31989 I'm completely behind keeping umps while recording everything and having software confirm or deny challenges.

[@cjwild1]

@@kid31989 You do realize that doing this would remove an entire part of the game right?

[@MrJord1994]

Human error is part of the game

[@micker9830]

Getting good or bad calls makes the game more exciting. Nothing like a manager coming out and screaming at the ump and getting ejected lol. Like Boxing scorekeepers, you never know what you're going to get.

[@HasekDaScudaDoodle]

I love the challenge idea. The fact that a player or ump could get publicly humiliated on the Jumbotron just makes it better

[@JADiaz10]

Yah for real watching the graphic hypes it up 😂

[@Justin_Hudson]

Yes I agree.

[@alexwwenba]

Okey zoomer

[@TrevorD19]

Like a bowling animation

[@Michael-yd7nt]

Only problem is both teams would exhaust their challenges in the first inning when Angel Hernandez is behind the plate.

[@Tommy9834]

Seeing how players are always looking for loopholes, one can understand why hockey (unofficially) allows players to fight as a form of self policing.

[@estellegrignon]

Baseball with more fighting: this I could stand behind

[@Tommy9834]

@@estellegrignon I'm not exactly saying that's what I want, I'm just saying, I understand why hockey does what they do.

[@russellchung3119]

Hockey's self-policing doesn't involve a 95 mph fastball at someone's head. That's not the solution either

[@FordFoxGT]

@@russellchung3119 Have you seen hockey before? You do realize that little hard rubber puck can involve speeds over 100mph while the players move at over 15mph.

[@russellchung3119]

@@FordFoxGT I'll be honest, I don't know much about hockey. But I didn't know that during their fights they hit the puck at each other. I thought it was just fist-a-cuffs.

[@komickaze85]

I kind of like the idea of 3 pitch challenges. Especially with guys like Angel Hernandez and Laz Diaz calling balls and strikes. I don't like the other variation where the robot calls all the pitches though. That seems like it would make the umpires' judgments mean nothing, even when the robot makes a mistake.

[@jckozzie2010]

But a robot would BUST Angel Hernandez's blind ass! 🤣🤣🤣

[@ajb9167]

Don't forget CB Bucknor He absolutely screwed the brewers to end the game the other night. Was 8 inches outside for ball 4, but he wanted to go home apparently and called it strike 3. I'm a Cubs fans and I like the outcome of the game, but in the spirit of fair play, that call was egregious at best.

[@christophern5226]

Genuine question, if you are okay with pitch call challenges, why not use the means available to avoid challenges all together? Which would be a robozone. Challenges for strike/ball calls, especially if returned if correct, would extend the length of games significantly. If they are going to accept or refuse the challenge based on a computer created zone, why not just skip the middleman?

[@electronsympathy]

@@christophern5226 My reason is an odd one: umping is too beloved a part of the game to abandon entirely. Not necessarily the umpires themselves, but the umpiring we do at home. Getting upsetti at the umps for calling a pitch wrong is a unifying experience of baseball, and one of its biggest sources of audience engagement. With a well calibrated and refined robo-ump system, that goes away. It becomes "too perfect," and we lose a part of baseball that we might not have wanted to lose. But with a challenge system, we get to be further engaged with the pitch-calling. When a player calls a challenge, we get to see the robo-ump agress with us and put the umpire on blast in a single huge vindicating moment... Or the ump was right all along and we seethe. Either way, we're even more engaged with baseball on a pitch-by-pitch basis than if we were lounging back with a beer going "eh, robo ump's got this."

[@PavyMac]

So happy to see this channel grow. MLB should start paying Baseball Doesn’t Exist. This channel is the sole reason I am watching baseball again.

[@brolteon2740]

dont know about the 5inning starter rule…punishing a team whose starter is not having it early in the game by taking out a key piece of their offense pretty much soft kills any chance of a comeback. as much as i like the new rules this year, i think going overboard and adding any more rules in such a short span could drive the players and officials crazy.

[@tcbobb1613]

They are killing Baseball!

[@ultraness]

You can adjust a rule like that to account for pitchers having a bad day (i.e., a pitcher has to either pitch five innings or give up five runs before he can be taken out of a game).

[@afuzzycreature8387]

@@ultraness its a rule baseball does not need.

[@Nightenstaff]

Forcing a starting pitcher to go five innings is insane. There's no chance that would stick and if by some divine curse it came to pass, it would be the worst change in baseball history. I'm for robo-umps though, so maybe my viewpoint isn't on par with the norm.

[@joeg5414]

​@@ultranesswhat if a guy throws 150 pitches in the first inning?

[@CoffeeFresh_]

We used to not need a rule to force batters in the box, because pitchers can throw when batters step out.

[@drakegotcakelol]

no you don’t need any rule , you need a competent runner who doesn’t get distracted 😭

[@catman-du8927]

Batters used to be able to call time basically anytime they want. That's why you would rarely see a pitch without a batter in the box

[@GeologyHub]

I was about to say the same thing. I’ve struck several batters out and been granted a first strike (after a pitched strike) on batters who were simply taking too long to get in the box, but only after they had already been in the box. This was a decade ago.

[@andrewyarosh1809]

MLB players are the biggest whiners…… if the 5 inning minimum is instituted Gerrit Cole will retire…..

[@letsmakeit110]

the scherzer rule overcomplicates things. pitcher can throw the ball at any time between 8 and 0. done. None of this eye contact nonsense. Batter has 12 seconds to decompress between pitches.

[@robertosantos-vx6pn]

Such a shame this guy is not working for a major network. Underrated content. 👍

[@americand0lphin]

Who cares

[@willmack5909]

@@americand0lphin Obviously you did or you would not have bothered to comment.

[@louisbarnes9971]

Personally I’m old school baseball and I’m not for challenging pitches. The umpire has always called the game until everyone finally agreed he was no longer capable, and a replacement was found. And yes, I’ve seen a few this year that need to f ind other employment. But yes, I like the pitch clock. It keeps the game moving, both for the pitcher and batter.

[@joeld194]

the universal pinch runner rule seems kinda dumb. he doesn't even need to be a good baseball player, just some track athlete that learns how to slide

[@magicwaffl3z]

​@@strange-universeagreed, sounds like some backyard play shit

[@Guaptologist]

idk man that’s kinda like saying a goalie in soccer doesn’t need to be a good soccer player, he just has to have good reflexes and kick far

[@someoneyoudontknow7705]

@@Guaptologist​​⁠​⁠A goalie plays an actual position. A pinch runner just…runs…and doesn’t have to play or be good at any position in baseball at all.

[@joeld194]

@Guaptologist the soccer goalie doesn't tag himself out of the game for someone else to kick the ball back to center field after every save. he plays a defensive position the entire game. the universal pinch runner wouldn't need to pick up a baseball bat or glove or even learn the sport at all.

[@kqatsi]

@@joeld194 Right, it'd be like permitting a "universal free-throw shooter." Or a "universal penalty kick taker."

[@schwamforfreedom]

Making fair and effective rules is hard, but it's a lot harder when you're not as smart as the people who play under the rules.

[@quinnmilliken9198]

"Technology is ruled by two types of people: those who understand what they do not manage, and those who manage what they do not understand." -Mike Trout, Putts Law

[@FHL-Devils]

- It's not about 'being smarter', it's about seeing how/what players will do things to try to circumvent, then determine the best adjustment to stay within the spirit of the rule.

[@DSQueenie]

A few hundred MLB officials will always be less conniving that literally thousands of MLB players, coaches and staff. That’s just a statistical certainty. The competitive sprit means the players will always find a way and the League will always be playing catch-up. However that doesn’t mean the new rules aren’t a good idea.

[@theunwelcome]

and rob manfraud could be outsmarted by a leaf

[@venalleader2909]

The problem is that you have to be smarter than all 800 MLB players. That's 800 brains you have to beat, which is basically impossible. If just one figures out a loophole, they all follow suit.

[@kaitlynrain899]

YES CHALLENGE PITCHES!! My dad and I always get sooo frustrated by the umpires and he always says “well you can’t challenge pitches.” I’ve always argued that a robot could do their job and it looks like the same technology as they use in tennis to challenge whether a ball is out or in

[@nathanchildress5596]

The differences between umpires strike zones becomes part of the strategy of the game. Trust me, as a pitcher and a hitter it makes the game more interesting if you know what’s going on. Tight zones lead to more hits while big zones mean pitchers throw their nastiest stuff

[@christophern5226]

@@nathanchildress5596 First off, I completely agree with you. At the earliest competitive levels of baseball you get taught to pitch to the umpire. And I think its a positive part of the game. But, I'm going to raise this counter argument. As sports betting becomes legal across the country, and as, not just the MLB, but every professional sports league takes on these sports betting companies as sponsors or partners, do you think there should be greater pressure on these leagues to more accurately judge the contests?

[@nathanchildress5596]

@@christophern5226 I don't think any sport should have to accommodate gambling, it should be the other way around, gambling is about LUCK right? Look, if you're serious about baseball you know all the unseen things going on that make the game interesting. MLB is trying to pull casual and new fans who don't know the intricacies of baseball, and they just want to see more home runs and offense, and don't want the game to drag on. I don't like it, but I get it.

[@christophern5226]

@@nathanchildress5596if MLB wasn’t taking on gambling sponsors I would entirely agree with you. But that’s why I made that caveat, I think it’s significant. MLB, and every other league, is now taking money from sports gambling companies in the form of sponsorships. I think that does matter when it comes to an organization’s (MLB’s, in this case) responsibility to make sure games are called correctly. Sports gambling has always happened and I’ve never made this argument until recently for this reason.

[@nathanchildress5596]

@@christophern5226 I can't argue with you, it's all true. I just liked the game how it's always been. In this new game we won't see another Madison Bumgarner or Bartolo Colon home run, I think we'll see less no-hitters, less nasty pitchers like Tim Lincecum, and I think managers will have less tough decisions to make with the line ups.

[@katrinapeachesxx]

I would like baseball way more if there weren't so many rules hahah maybe im just too slow 😅

[@24tommyst]

These rules are meant to make the games shorter and less boring. It's a good thing :)

[@brianbanks3044]

the 3 challenges is great..I went to a game last week in the AAA and it took all of 10 seconds to make the call...MLB should institute this immediately because the way the umps are affecting the game is getting ridiculous

[@lfish21.]

Been to a few AAA games both with full robo umps and the challenges. I like challenges and was super quick to do. Fun tennis vibes.

[@cqrsten1764]

Been to many of both variants and the challenges are so much more fun and engaging. Imagine this in cities like philly

[@thatroccotaco]

these are really high quality animations for a sport that, doesn’t even exist!!

[@falcon1378]

Electronic arts could never

[@The_State_of_Oklahoma]

do you wanna cookie? 🍪

[@shadow12k]

I too love to play rocket league

[@Zykolloff_SPORTS]

@@The_State_of_Oklahomahe prolly thinks he was gonna go viral

[@thatroccotaco]

@@Zykolloff_SPORTS huh

[@AvgJoeWatchReviews]

You are the man! I’ve learned so much about the “new game”. Your editing, delivery, and entire video production is next level. New subscriber here! Keep up the awesome content.

[@a1919akelbo]

We should add an elastic cord to the baseball, with a small hole near the edge of the field, where if you land the ball inside the hole you get to ride a hoverbike around all the bases, blowing them up in the process.

[@jacobsukovaty520]

I would love to watch blerns ball

[@espyjump2725]

The one thing you missed is the preposterous amount of errors that are being called hits, which could also be influencing the increase in batter production this year

[@Redpoppy80]

Agreed. My team the SF Giants have had absolutely horrible games this year and 2022 that didn't get counted as errors even though a blind person could tell that they were.

[@r4643]

Bobby witt jr has a inside the park homerun all over MLB highlights that is a routine line drive to right field. Clear error but he gets a top play of the month for it.

[@jiaan100]

Errors were always subjective and dumb t. not a baseball fan

[@nicksGLI]

I haven't noticed this as much. Error stats are almost as unreliable as hit stats in hockey.

[@dgb921]

Definitely is making stats better. It’s cringe some of the errors I mean hits called hits

[@h0lyhandgr3nad36]

The unlimited pinch runner has me rotfl. Like little league? A courtesy runner? 🤣🤣🤣🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️ COME ON MANNNN!

[@kingredbeard8383]

At least in beer league men's softball, the pinch runner is another PLAYER.

[@sntslilhlpr6601]

Yeah, that would just lead to teams signing sprinters with no baseball experience. Dumbest idea ever. The current amount of stealing is great as it is. There's no need to have untouchable olympic-level sprinters out there on the basepaths. What a joke.

[@Agentrock47]

​@@sntslilhlpr6601I mean they did say it's just them experimenting, I doubt a lot of the rules that he mentioned will ever even reach the upper minors but it's cool to see they want to make it better.

[@callumwinkler1943]

Never understood why a challenge/Hawkeye-type system wasn't used in baseball as it has been in cricket for years now. Good to see it being discussed.

[@Taziod]

Umps form a union to protect their jobs and obviously a robo ump would take some of them

[@dgmullin1]

@@Taziod *Cough* Angel *Cough*

[@bilboswaggings]

Ty for the on screen explanations for things like pinch runners I have never watched a game, but i like watching sports related content

[@michaeltaylor4271]

Holy crap so these teams are supposed to predict if their players aee supposed to get a standing ovation and submit a request to mlb 24hr in advance just to not get a pitch clock violation, thats freaking wild if you ask me

[@TheMustyrusty]

Yeah fr. Why can’t umpires just read the situation and use good judgement. Beloved player gets a standing O like romo? Just let it ride for 30 seconds ffs and start the clock after.

[@RadioactiveSherbet]

Yeah. I scoffed IRL when I heard that one.

[@michaeltaylor4271]

Oh exactly, I did to I kinda laughed and said no way that can be real, and I agree umpires are pretty intune with the game and what's going on so they would know if a player might get one or not, I don't think there has ever been an issue with standing ovations before, like guys taking to long, or getting multiple standing ovations so it's not like they have to regulate standing ovations. But making a team predict it and file paperwork for it is just crazy If you ask me.

[@zwayzy]

That 5 inning rule for SP sounds awful I really hope that get's the results they don't want lol

[@shiranuiNull]

Same... that would practically swing the game on offense's side permanently... Make some sort of balance man

[@chrismarston4266]

Imagine throwing a bullpen game with that rule. Or your starter doesn’t pitch well giving up 5 runs in 3 innings. I pray that rule never makes it

[@Cosmic_Cretin]

the universal pinch runner rules is terrible too, part of the strategy of constructing a lineup is how much of a liability someone is on the bases, do you trade speed for power in a certain spot? All of that would be gone, the pitch clock is great but that would be jumping the shark

[@shiranuiNull]

@Cosmic_Cretin yep, I enjoyed the trade offs that pinch runner rules provides atm. I feel the balance in the game is going to the offense too much now...

[@erick3755]

It makes no sense from a player safety perspective. Pitcher starts having some arm pain in the 3rd inning and his choice is to protect himself at the price of the teams DH or pitch through the pain and hope it's fine. The second it comes out a guy may need tommy john surgery because he didn't want to hurt the team that rule becomes a fight between the PA and the league about safety vs profits.

[@drakedbz]

I like the 3 challenges system for robo-umps. That keeps the human element in baseball, but also gives batters a way to disagree with the ump legally. Also I like the idea of starting pitchers having to pitch at least 5 innings, otherwise the DH has to be swapped out. That's an interesting change. As far as the pitch clock is concerned, I really like that it's sped up games, but if you need a bunch of extra rules to close loopholes, I'd argue the original rule is flawed. I'd suggest that it should change a bit so that the clock is shorter but only starts once the pitcher touches the mound (any part of the dirt) AND the batter enters the dirt surrounding home plate. Players would then get a warning for unnecessary delay of game for not getting there promptly once play can start. The pitcher can start the windup any time after 5 seconds left, regardless of what the batter is doing, unless the ump or batter calls time. Then, there's no pitch clock violation for the batter, they just get a strike naturally.

[@jarofpickles4057]

That second challenge idea needs to be implemented immediately. It's ridiculous how every stadium has hundreds of cameras rolling in high definition at all different angles and they've still gotta just deal with it when an ump makes a bad call.

[@Fractured_Unity]

The pinch runner rule is insane to think about. It’s literally a whole different ball game.

[@00Siebes]

Exactly Go and sign Pujols again and now he never has to run the bases

[@randomjunkohyeah1]

Literally all of those rules they’re experimenting with now are thunderously stupid.

[@staciemohler4624]

Terrance Gore would be feasting

[@Fractured_Unity]

@@00Siebes The optimal strategy is to have 3 Pujols evenly spaced in the lineup.

[@cagedtigersteve]

Just imagine signing Usain Bolt as your pinch runner.

[@TheTrombonism]

You know what also increases stolen bases in the league. Making it illegal for the catcher to throw out the runner. Or how about making any fly ball that is dropped by the outfielder an automatic home run. That will get run production up.

[@tmtmtlsml]

Shut up, don't give Manfred more ideas

[@BigDunum12]

I was thinking only fastballs allowed, but not over 80mph

[@BBonez24]

I’ve seen a lot of clear errors being ruled hits this year. MLB might be trying to boost hit totals to back up these rules

[@SimonFoster23111971]

That's ultimately on the Official Home Scorer for each team.

[@kemic3946]

This guy’s videos are so well made and I look forward to them all week

[@mikebordewick9003]

These rules seem to be way too complicated to follow.

[@DeepfriedBeans4492]

Many of the rules only really affect you if you’re actively looking for loopholes

[@highcheese4429]

That’s the dumbest/least true shit I ever read. Did we not just watch the same video? There were multiple instances where nobody was trying to exploit any loopholes and the pitch clock had a definitive effect on the game/situation. You are exactly the type of person they drummed this shit up for. Somebody who never played and has absolutely no idea how difficult the game actually is especially when you’re only given 15 seconds to execute from pitch to pitch.

[@scottiebcards2354]

Now that they have been active the whole season they aren’t that confusing/controversial

[@jmn327]

Curious about this: how much of the rise in ratings/attendance can we attribute to the rule changes, and how much of it is that a number of teams that have been pretty weak in recent history are now contenders, while many large market teams (which already have millions of tickets sold before a pitch is thrown) are having down years? I genuinely don't know how or if we can quantify that. As for the new rules they're tinkering with in the Atlantic League, I like the idea of a conditional DH, but I really, really dislike the others, good lord.

[@jonnuanez7183]

The Padres are having a record year attendance wise because of the lineup and then of course raking in tons of bucks. Yet the team's record...do we need to talk about that? Same with the Angels-people go to see Shohei, not a good team.

[@vincentwendt720]

@@jonnuanez7183 The Yankees record wasn't great this year as well. When Aaron Judge was injured the Yankee's offense seemed anemic.

[@swagmuffin9000]

Not just that, last year was when restrictions started going away. 2023 was the first full year without them. People waited to get out for a while

[@deiradinn]

Yeah, adding the extra playoff teams help.

[@ohger1]

Speaking only for myself, I stopped watching baseball for several reasons years ago and just started watching some games. The biggest reason was the frustration of watching a battery go for a walk after every pitch, scratch his nuts, and adjust his batting gloves half a dozen times. I could not watch the game without having my remote in my hand. If a pitch wasn't put into play, I would hit the remote and watch something else for 30 seconds to a minute. I finally got tired of it and stopped watching entirely. The pitch clock has helped tremendously. Now, if they could only do something about the home run or strike out metric teams are using...

[@swagmuffin9000]

Ai ump scared me for a while, but seeing how it actually works made me change my mind. Would be nice to see a blown call turned around, and on the big screen too. Only thing is 3 pitches is way too little.

[@joeecm27]

I like the pitch clock, but I do think they should extend the time for the postseason. There is so much intensity on each pitch I hate to see it blow by too quickly.

[@epigmastatix1544]

Agreed. Should increase amount of pickoffs too

[@eXturminaded]

Why does it need to be changed though? Teams are used to the rules that are set this late into the season… if they can’t win within the rules that they’ve been playing with all season then that’s on them. The intensity in the games right now is higher then it’s been in a long time. The games at a good spot right now and entertaining to watch.

[@westhoodqualzini7884]

Nobody wants to watch a 4 hour 9 inning game. I always hated how postseason games take so long and require so much investment and time. One the reasons why people don’t watch it

[@eXturminaded]

@@westhoodqualzini7884 exactly. People with jobs don’t want to be staying up super late for baseball games that are just dragging on because some dude at the plate is taking 30 seconds every pitch

[@LargePlanetFr]

I love how at 1:34 he put like no effort into trying to bleep “fuck” and is comedy gold

[@dungeonmasterv]

I think the popularity of the World Baseball Classic is the leading candidate for why interest in baseball has gone up this year. There's a lot amazing players and characters in the game currently and that leads to people caring a bit more as well. The new rules have definitely helped the game be more palatable but I think the MLB needs to be careful with causation and correlation on that front. It'll be a few years before we really know if interest stays high and why.

[@BrandonBowditch]

Exactly! The new rules are not the reason why people are caring more. The players are the reason, and we have the World Baseball Classic to thank for that.

[@bloodwrage]

The WBC was so dumb. All the spcs took it more seriously than the regular season

[@fryncyaryorvjink2140]

I think it's like a perfect storm, pitch clock and shift ban make the game better, meanwhile societies recovery from COVID seems nearly complete, people want to get out and do stuff again

[@drateryako]

lol@@bloodwrage

[@JG-yk6ny]

Yeah I disagree, and the MLB marketing analysts do too.

[@remaracs6283]

This was always going to have growing pains. Glad MLB is sticking to their guns. Make them adjust the rules to the players who are exploiting it and over time it’ll work itself out. It’s all for more action and better pace of play.

[@kjorlaug1]

The pitch clock is the BEST thing in MLB in decades. Players were never going to voluntarily speed up the game.

[@TheBrainSpecialist]

That universal pinch runner thing is the dumbest thing I've ever heard of. Absolutely destroys any aspect of game strategy. Why does it need to even exist? Oh wait. It doesn't.

[@AdderTude]

Neither does the pitch clock. The second Manfred announced it, a lot of people knew it was gonna be a gimmick, and based on all the examples of players committing violations over and over, it seems like it actually _is_ a gimmick.

[@blahblah49000]

@@AdderTude Imagine if they cut out 50% of the commericals between innings. That would reduce the game length a lot! But they can't do that, because...well, uh...um...hmm...

[@TheBrainSpecialist]

@@AdderTude Did you not watch the whole video. The players have gotten used to it. NPB and KBO will probably be adopting it as well in the near future, and its a relatively popular rule change in general, among players and fans. Plus "Rule Change" is a stretch, rules of that nature have been on the books all along, but just never enforced.

[@mirantilin]

I just want them to have the strike call challenge system in major league

[@BlueLightningBaseball]

Agreed that would be really cool

[@vincentwendt720]

They've been experimenting with a ball/strike challenge system in Triple-A. I like it.

[@Skaffuh]

can the pitcher challenge a missed call or only the hitter? I feel like the rule should go both ways

[@mirantilin]

@@Skaffuh I hope they can do both ways

[@mirantilin]

@@vincentwendt720 Agree, especially my favorite player is among the top 5 out of zone called strike players

[@shAnn0n1]

Hey, the Philly Captain sent me to you and your channel!! I'm excited to be here. You brilliantly explain what's happening with the game I love. Thx!!!!

[@Josh-ut4wv]

i like the idea of like teams get 3 strike/ball call challenges as it is a tool to combat ump ball. I also like with the rule that the Hitter, Pitcher, and Catcher can all challenge the call as it does not give too much power to one side.

[@elishastigora894]

John Kruk is the best announcer in baseball... always has the most outlandish things to say yet is somehow always correct

[@BrianKoontz]

He could have a segment called "The Kruks of the Matter"

[@339gabriel]

@@BrianKoontzWhat the Kruk is the matter sounds better 😂

[@Flayne009]

Kruk is a goddamn treasure. We love him in Philly.

[@billytrees]

John Kruk is a washed up irrelavent old man that can't keep up with the real world. He is the type of person that the world is leaving behind and for good reason.

[@billytrees]

How do you get mad at Ron Washington for giving a handshake during a homerun. RIDICULOUS

[@Map_of_Your_Head]

that starting pitcher has to go 5 rule is insane...

[@slightexag]

At that point, why not make it that if a batter strikes out 3 times, he can't play the next day. It likewise would penalize guys for playing bad and double down on the harm it would cause a team

[@JonHutcher]

I like the few new rules they are trying out. The starting pitcher one is interesting but I think it should be changed a little. Maybe have no penalty for the team if the starting pitcher lets up 4 runs or somewhere around there. So if the pitcher just isn’t having a good day the team doesn’t feel the need to keep them in to potentially let up more runs just to keep their DH in. This would still keep teams from pitching their starter a few innings when they are pitching good just to take them out to keep them fresh. Also if the team was able to have their current DH play somewhere in the field and have a positron player have to come out of the game for a new DH.

[@jackbonar2139]

The 5 inning minimum rule for starting pitchers is absurd and downright dangerous. Any rule that tries to push teams into keeping a pitcher in a game when they otherwise might make a change puts people's health and careers at risk. If a pitcher starts to struggle and underperform it's because their body can't handle the strain they are putting on it. If you try to force people to just press on and push themselves further, you are putting them at risk of injuries maybe even career ending injuries, maybe even endangering their freaking lives and if nothing else, their livelihoods. And for what? To make a minor change that might increase runs in the hope that viewership will increase? I wonder how an increase in dislocated arms will affect ratings. Hey turn the game on maybe we'll get lucky and see someone tear their arm out of their socket and then writhe on the ground in agony. That's good old fashion fun right there. Fun for the whole f***"in' family.

[@nicolasjlorenzo]

In a couple years we might as well change the name of the sport entirely

[@andrewmeisner4698]

I worked in the Atlantic league in 2019 and saw those rule changes before anyone. The first day the Somerset Patriots had the robo umpire it was a disaster they could only turn it on for only half innings at a time and the system would glitch and call pitches that weren’t close strikes. The umpire had to call these strikes because mlb mandated they had to follow the system. I also saw a perfect game get taken away because of the runner starting on second in extra innings. 2019 Atlantic League was some of the strangest baseball I’ve seen especially when they allowed players to steal first base. Players didn’t like it and most just wouldn’t go for it even if the ball rolled to the dugout. There was such a lack of players doing it it started to be scored as a walk to get players to do it.

[@JG-yk6ny]

That is why these things are tested and the bugs worked out in minor leagues

[@RD24LFG]

I think I'm lost. How do you steal first base? Edit: Like on a wild pitch? That's insanely absurd and an awful idea lol

[@nicksGLI]

I'm sure NASA just went straight to the moon without issue the first day, too

[@outtatime9836]

I think the one thing that could improve this is maybe extending time after the 7th inning. Because a 1-1 game in the 3rd has a huge differnce in feel than in the bottom of the 9th. And these rules really stale that.

[@matvail2002]

Awesome videos as always. The editing is second to none. I think the new rules worked very well, the games are much faster. The pitch clock made the game much faster and steals have been part of the game since forever so limiting pick-offs did the trick. MLB did their homework and they got indy/minor leagues as a laboratory to experiment with new rules. The only new rule that puzzles me is the extra inning one because it tends to create a situation where you don't need to hit any hit to win a game in extra innings you can steal bases or do a sacrifice fly. Should the alternative be tied games after 12-13 innings of play? I don't know as North American pro baseball (unlike Asian pro baseball) is allergic to tied games. I don't think this extra innings rule should be there in the playoffs. The new Atlantic League rules changes are okay outside one exception. I do think pitchers should be allowed to pick out a baserunner only once in an AB which is a good idea, but forcing pitchers to pitch 5 innings is not a good idea because it just creates new problems related to the technicality of injuries and also with the fact that baseball has a bit of strategy associated with the bullpen. Having the robo-ump be used as an option for catchers to challenge a pitch is also interesting as the 1B/3B umpire doesn't have the ''view'' the robo-ump has. Another reform? I've seen this happen in Indy Leagues, there is a point where having woman umpires like in the NBA will happen in the MLB. It's not easy becoming an MLB umpire because you need to rise the minor league system - but right now there are some women who could do it relatively soon and they have been promoted on merit through all the different steps. Umpiring in pro baseball is based a lot on merit and in some ways more difficult to become an MLB ump than an MLB player even if being an MLB ump means more job security than a player.

[@Crunchy_Troll]

Baseball Really became yugioh with all these convoluted rules and loop holes and exceptions

[@SanteeDakota]

3 challenges to an umps call is not even close to enough if that's the way they go.

[@JusticeForViolas]

The Royals won ANOTHER game with a walk off balk against the White Sox. Runners on second and third in the bottom of the ninth in a 6-6 tie. The White Sox decide to intentionally walk MJ Melendez to load the bases. However, the next hitter, Edward Olivares, wasn’t ready for his at bat. Olivares got into the batters box with 8 seconds on the pitch clock. The White Sox pitcher, Santos, tried quick pitching but forgot to come set, giving Kansas City the game. This is the Royals’ second “balk off” of the season, the first time this had happened ever.

[@farminstoltzfus]

I don't know what sparked it; the rule changes or World Classic, but i've watched/followed more baseball this year than i have since the 90s.

[@nacoran]

Can you imagine if Ricky had been able to steal with the new pickoff rules? Or Coleman or Raines?

[@HT-sm9dm]

They wouldn’t be as good because of the evolutions and sports sciences and vegetables and stuff. Athletes from that era were stupid, slow and weak.

[@monkeypoosports3349]

It would have been absurd. The modern players still wont catch his totals.

[@maxxpower3d6]

If anyone breaks Henderson's record under these rules, it should come with an asterisk bigger than Bonds'.

[@lewsmith9708]

​@@maxxpower3d6I'd say it's more akin to Roger Maris when he hit 61 home runs in 1961, but for the longest time he had an asterisk by his stat because the '61 season was 8 games longer than the '27 season when Babe Ruth hit the record-setting 60th homer in the last game of the season (154 games). Maris also hit number 61 in the last game of the regular season (162 games). Bonds, along with McGwire and Sosa, would probably have asterisks next to their stats for different reasons that lie squarely on their shoulders as opposed to MLB.

[@blahblah49000]

@@HT-sm9dm Except...steroids...

[@erick3755]

Theres no way the MLBPA would allow the 5 inning rule for pitchers. You start talking about a guy having arm pains and having to choose between hurting the team or his personal health/safety and you are going to have issues. Would really show whether the league cares about players safety or more offense and profits.

[@rilian226]

Probably what would happen is an exception would be put in for injuries which would then lead directly to players faking injuries so managers can remove them early which would then probably lead into some new additional rule to curb that, etc.

[@erick3755]

@rilian226 yeah, but how could you determine if a guy is actually hurt or not? I mean I guess you could say if a guy leaves before 5 innings he misses his next start, but then you just pitch him on 6 days rest vs 5...it's an impossible thing to actually police.

[@blahblah49000]

@@rilian226 2025: the year flopping became a thing in baseball. Thanks, Uncle Rob!

[@tyray6180]

There’s no way pitch clock doesn’t increase the chance of injury, I swear I’ve seen more news about pitchers missing games because of injury notably more this year than years prior. And that last rule with starting pitchers affecting the DH is awful, if my pitcher is out there giving up 6 runs in 2 innings I would want to pull him and not get fucked by it

[@kman9884]

All of this could’ve been solved by not creating the Scherzer rule. Batters take far too long between pitches stepping outside the box, adjusting gloves, filling their taxes, etc. And they should just stay in the box between pitches and be immediately ready by the time the pitcher gets it back from the catcher

[@davidgreer6036]

That Kenley Jansen-Contreras feud cost me a fantasy baseball week because Jansen eventually lost the game

[@thomasshortis5562]

I was at that game and i was pissed off

[@blessd24]

The Cardinals got all up in Jansen's head. One of the few times of the year I enjoyed the Cardinals. (A a fan of theirs)

[@BrazenBullXXX]

Too many damn rules in this sport these days.

[@boonedocksfl2012]

It’s worth noting that the rule changes will ultimately change value in certain types of players; like speed , bat control to drive the ball where players aren’t and IQ.

[@imafortnitekid69]

"DOWN GOES ANDERSON" that is something I will remember hearing forever

[@Bigbrainguy4]

always a great day when bde posts

[@KameSennin4209]

The MLB banning the shift is like if the NFL were to ban the nickel package.

[@johnnysummers9323]

Baseball isn't like other sports, players need to have their form they cannot simply change it all the time due to the shift, all the changing completely destroys their ability to hit and I'm glad it's been banned.

[@someoneyoudontknow7705]

@@johnnysummers9323​​⁠Same. They have positions for a reason, I was tired of hearing “Well, they can just hit it where they’re NOT.” Um, isn’t that WHY the shift happened to begin with? Cuz batters were hitting the ball where fielders were NOT? It’s a game/sport with rules and positions for a reason and I couldn’t stand the shift.

[@adanalyst6925]

The NFL has banned plenty of formations and tinkers with the rules all the time to help the offense though

[@KameSennin4209]

@@johnnysummers9323 Removing a legitimate strategy in order to artificially increase offense cheapens the product.

[@beardownstudios]

Also, in the Giants Cubs game with Steele VS WEBB, that game finished in a 1:59 minutes. YES 1 hour and 59 minutes, that game went by so fast and the pitch clock has made baseball more watchable.

[@ajb9167]

correct me if I'm wrong. MLB can institute a rule change as long as they give 45 days of notice to the players. The playoffs are currently less than 45 days away, so there will be no rule changes for the playoffs. I personally would like them to modify the clock for the postseason. Perhaps give each team 1 warning instead of a violation. Since currently violations are happening once every 3 games, just instituting a warning could negate violations affecting the outcome of a playoff game. Or just make the clock 20/25 instead of 15/20 Playoffs are dramatic, I'm sure the players heart rates could use a few extra seconds to collect themselves.

[@woodrowbunopaddle]

The standing ovation could be abused. As a lot of fan bases would give every player on their team a standing O to buy extra time.

[@eman0346]

Anderson calling people soft if only he knew what would happen later in the season 😂

[@no6418]

He was the opposite of soft. He got into an arguement and actually threw hands with a man 60 pounds heavier. He has balls but can’t box

[@KryMoore]

There is only a 5 pound difference between Tim and Jose. Stop lying, he is soft.

[@eman0346]

@@no6418 Idk if you wanna talk that talk you better walk the walk

[@johnwayne9828]

​@@no6418😂😂😂jackie got knocked the fuck out!

[@CYMotorsport]

I’ve been saying this for quite a long time and I’m still alone but likely bc of such a small cross over MLB has with Formula 1 but baseball in its most nuanced form has more in common with F1 than ppl realize. From the sticky stuff fans don’t even realize players are developing using highly advanced compounds to loop hole exploitation, modern baseball especially with Sabermetrics firmly in place, racing has plenty of parallels. And much like F1, part of the art of success is now about how well you understand the language. Thus extends to the fans too. There’s something attractive to even long time obsessed fans as they have more to robustly understand and apply. Love the rules or hate them, ppl are more engaged and active in consuming the sport than ever. Although I do find it strange how they haven’t made special ump masks with with some form of a pitch location feedback viz in real time using high speed static cameras. The risk is they rely too heavily on the super accurate tech relegating them to game managers more or less. Which imo is preferable. It may sound unrealistic but truly it’s not at all impossible or even difficult to wire up sensors even if need be to rig up a system for instant feedback to atleast confirm an umpire calls pitch by pitch. The nfl has already done it as has formula 1. Accelerometers are tiny and can be buried and hidden. Leaving blue to focus on even more on a things tech can’t negotiate. Idk just my pipe dream but it’s one way they seem to be lagging though would require a cultural shift even baseball might not have the appetite for.

[@jonjackson7979]

I just hope this doesn't become a constant thing where we are always changing the rules. Sometimes is better to just let the game play and enjoy it. but this is my issue with all sports right now

[@Shambley1]

The post season is when the pitch clock is needed most. It feels like it takes 5 min to throw 3 or 4 pitches for some at bats.

[@BlueLightningBaseball]

Agreed, plus it’s the only time that new audiences tune in to baseball, so mlb should use the new rules to get newer fans interested, instead of going back to the slow paced, 4 hour post season games that no new audience would enjoy.

[@adanalyst6925]

@@BlueLightningBaseballthat’s how I feel as well. I love the pitch clock as it’s made my college friends willing to watch baseball. It’d be dumb for MLB to get rid of that in the postseason

[@vincentwendt720]

I agree, it's ridiculous. The batters and pitchers are doing it.

[@deepzone31]

Keep rules the same for the postseason. This season needs to be self contained to be analyzed as a whole. For strike zone calls allow one hitter challenge per at bat. If the batter is wrong that hitter loses the ability to challenge for the remainder of the game and the next. They should wear a designated shame helmet while on probation as well. Defense can be allotted one pitch call challenge per inning without penalty. A booth ump should be on standby for immediate calls. No need for robots but umps who deviate from an acceptable number of correct calls should be shown the door.

[@martinpalenik]

I'm loving the pitching challenge... So simple but would make a huge difference. Actually what about from the pitchers side of things.. Challenge a miscall as well?

[@kyleweir689]

Leaguewide average up by 7 hits per 1000 at bats… we’ll need a few more seasons of data to even begin to correlate pitch clock with BA. The stolen base numbers are obvious, but the leaguewide average increase isn’t convincing.

[@th3epcplayer958]

“Hits are up”… I think it would be a cool deep dive to go into how a lot of errors are actually being called hits now. It seems like MLB directed scorers to start making a lot of errors hits, so that “hits would be up” and they could justify their rule changes.

[@tmtmtlsml]

I suspect it's more sleazy than that. I have worked for multiple baseball teams at various levels, sometimes as an official scorer, and teams will pressure you to change errors into hits so that batters get credit for extra hits and RBIs, as well as increasing the defense's fielding percentage. This will of course hurt the pitcher's stats as they now have extra hits and earned runs that they didn't deserve, but I think we can see just how much baseball organizations give a shit about what pitchers want.

[@SABRMatt2010]

WHOA WHOA WHOA...universal pinch runner? That's frickin' INSANE. All you have to do is hire a literal olympic track star and bam...hundreds of steals.

[@ohger1]

Well gosh, if a gentleman like Tim Anderson is upset, there must be some merit to the complaints.. Look, I'm one of the fans that have come back to the game after 5 plus years of just not watching anymore. When I was a kid, baseball games were crisp and fun. I used to watch a double header almost ever Sunday as a kid in the 60s and both games were done by 5PM. Somewhere along the way, baseball players stopped playing and started preening for the camera. I simply got tired of the extra 45 minutes of watching players go for a stroll after every pitch, scratch their nuts, and adjust their gloves 3-5 times. Players simply took advantage of the "no time clock" in baseball and abused it. The rules were implemented to get baseball back to where it used to be. Injuries? The reason for pitcher injuries isn't the pitch clock, it's the radar gun. Scouts won't even give kids a sniff unless they can sit consistently at 94mph. When pitchers today get arm fatigue, they know where their speed is and try to manufacture speed when they just don't have it that day. That's where injuries occur.

[@Brandonbrooks412]

Without a doubt this is one of the most chaotic seasons ever in major league history. Thank you for another incredible video this is amazing work 🙌🏾

[@LABRADFORD10]

Your energy is absolutely amazing in every video you make. It makes the videos 10 times better

[@joshuab6261]

This is the best part of changing rules, seeing how the players exploit them. In pretty much every instance its not a rules issue, usually just skill issues

[@rayhezbroham7297]

Can’t wait for a pitch clock movie 50 years from now

[@_dwats14]

Don’t forget the whole Bryce Harper not being allowed time to put his elbow brace on fiasco

[@ericwildfong]

Theoretically he should of known he was on deck and already had the damn thing on. It's not the umps job to give batters time to get their gear on

[@Ulim_aspect]

@@ericwildfonghe can only use it after he’s on base

[@_dwats14]

@@ericwildfong lmao he puts it on after he gets on base and the ump wouldn’t allow him time. Try to put a big bulky brace over your dominant arms elbow in 20 seconds.

[@AuntFannyFetish]

I think KZbin channels like this one and Jomboy need to be given some serious credit for some of these viewership gains

[@Edward_Nebiolo]

I think the MLB should move the mound back a foot or so cuz the rate of strikeouts is still higher than idk ever and pitchers are getting better by adding a mph on their pitches during the offseason and batters are getting less reaction time to decide to swing or not at a pitch. And the average amount of pitches a batter faces per at bat is still rising and more foul balls are being hit and more ball will be used every game. Moving the mound back not only gives the batter a little more time to decide to swing at a pitch or not but it also gives them more time to avoid getting hit by a pitch and gives the pitcher more time to react to line drive right back at them and less of a chance of being hit by the line drive ball and a reduction of the amount of foul balls and average amount of pitches a batter faces per at bat. Moving the mound back a foot or so is a move to increase the offense in the game and the safety of the game. Also some rules I would recommend that MLB should do if they want to reduce the game time more is 1. Reducing mound visits from 5 to 4 or 3. Teams rarely use all 5 in a 9 inning game and they get 1 more every extra inning 2. Reduce the time between innings from 2:15 to 2:05 or 2:00 like they did the 2nd year of reducing time between innings. 3. When a pitching change occurs, the time the new pitcher should get from 2:30 or like 2:20 or 2:15.

[@kylek29]

We've seen this in other sports -- first hand for me with Hockey -- the players / older diehard fans will complain because the game they grew up with is being changed, and we all love to resist change. The only metric that matters is if the sport prospers, because failure to adapt was killing it, especially with attention spans shrinking. As for the robo ump, I kinda like the hybrid approach with the challenge, as reviewing it via the big board makes it a tad funner for the fans.

[@kingredbeard8383]

But at one time, games were even quicker than they are now without any of these rules. It would be worthwhile to ask themselves what they've started allowing that has systematically slowed things down. (Hint: designated hitter, enlarged pitching rosters, glorifying home runs, velcro)

[@bubba200874426]

​@kingredbeard8383 two of those things exist to protect players. The DH exists to remove any potential for an unfair advantage. Home runs are glorified because they're crowd-pleasing. None of those things are going away, so we have to reduce the amount of ball scratching instead.

[@dylanslaseman1406]

The only new rule I like is the robo ump or an iteration of it. The pitch clock and limited pick offs has already changed the sport enough. Adding a designated runner, 5 inning minimum, and the other crazy rules will kill the sport.

[@AdderTude]

Pitch clock is dumb and too gimmicky.

[@andrewh88]

agreed, changing rules just for the sake of adding more scoring makes those runs empty and less exciting

[@butter7734]

Agree umpires are shit.

[@Weaponator18]

It's already happening in football. It's so hard to play defense now that all offensive stats from this era are grossly overinflated. With the rule changes from this past offseason, Baseball got the flow and balance back to the game that the 'three true outcomes' style of coaching was taking away. The only one of the new rules worth actually trying to implement is the automated strike zone. Those other three rules are comically terrible.

[@Defx10]

A lot of baseball's problems could be solved by banning Tim Anderson.

[@JoeMeats]

We're living history right here folks, this is how it probably was when professional baseball first came out

[@DIDDYKONG916]

The MLB should have that 3 challenge rule already. Allow a player to challenge the ball or strike on any Umpire. Just imagine Angel being shown he's wrong on the big screen. Just don't allow the umpires to eject players or managers after that if they smile or haha.

[@deathminder9206]

I love the rules except the extra inning rule. Also, the league said the rules will not be adjusted for the postseason a few days ago.

[@zachmeister1714]

Best channel on youtube for bb content

[@johnnydepp4866]

If mlb needs to change one rule, either abolish the central division for both al and nl, or abolish the division leaders and apply the nba format of deciding playoff seeds by win percentage

[@binabinabinabean]

I’m obsessed with this channel. Would love to see something this style about the current NL east standings

[@RD24LFG]

It's the Philles and Braves going to the playoffs lol what else is there to know.

[@samhunter7619]

No matter how many rules the league comes up with and what they do to implement those rules. If players don’t like them, they will find loopholes

[@adanalyst6925]

MLB players are the biggest babies these days so makes sense

[@AtomicNoTwitch]

These rules are straight up EMBARASSING. Almost feels like playing with the kid on the playground that makes up rules as he goes that favor him when he's losing. 😂😂 Please change this MLB

[@lpgodin2]

I'm waiting on the rule that forbids stealing when leading by 5+ points and ending the game when a team leads by 10... Games would be over sooooo much faster...

[@joshuabixby31]

​@@lpgodin2I would like this more than the pitch clock

[@thesicklemodernagriculture]

I'm very serious about this. MLB Network needs to hire this guy.

[@conorgilles81]

My idea for a new rule: All-DH batting order. Teams will start playing separate offense and defense, like football. And unlimited pinch runners.

[@blndpblo]

I miss the old game. It’s honestly sad there will never be another Bartolo Colon moment again.

[@someoneyoudontknow7705]

Same!!