MLB to test rule changes in minors: a look at the good and the bad

The MLB on Thursday dropped a list of rule amendments it will test in the minor leagues this season. Fans who know (and hate) most are banning shifts (in Double-A), robot umpires (aka Low-A in the southeast, the old Florida State League) and pitch clocks (less Single-A) In all of).

But baseball will test modifications to the running game to see if the stolen bases can grow and inject more “action” into the game. These changes are more important than speed-up rules or laser and strike calling rules.

Complete list:

Naturally, the answers to “Fire Rob Manfred” on Twitter were immediate as fans angrily suppressed his online vocal baton. . . Things. But some of them went much deeper than this.

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And while this reaction won’t go far below the surface, either, it will be more than “I hate everything”. A level-by-level breakdown of changes and whether they are good or bad:

Triple-A Transformation: Good

The size of the first, second and third base is increasing from 15 square inches to 18 square inches. Increasing security is being considered by reducing collisions. Baseball is also hoping that larger bases will have more stolen bases and more runners out of plays. In the game of inches, altering the dimensions of the bases will result, but it will not make as many changes to the game as other changes in the game (see below).

Double-A Transformation: Bad

Bad is not a strong enough word; Terrible is a more appropriate description. This year Double-A is “ban on ban” (potential). First, teams will require four players to stand on the dirtier portion of the infield at all times – not “more rovers” in the right field. If the results of that experiment run a certain way (ie, if not enough extra hits go through the infield), teams may need to keep two bashers at second base at all times in the second half of the season.

The two-way idea is very extreme. It punishes teams that do good (or, nowadays, routine) scouting. MLB teams produce spray charts; They seek to optimize the defensive position and enhance run prevention. While saying what the exercise was for 10 years ago (yay for nostalgia), infield play will return, but why smart percentages came hard for baseball-playing teams and batsmen were asked – who don’t want to shorten And hit the ball differently?

Another thing that was not addressed in the MLB release: Forcing teams to keep four players on the dirt would end the Four-Man outfit. Teams today are willing to trade singles on the empty left for better coverage in the gaps and lines against left-handed sluggers.

Bottom line: In search of MLB “the very best version of baseball” none of these options should be overcome, as the new MLB executive Theo Epstein put it. The best version of baseball is one where teams systematically adjust their strategies to gain the edge. Baseball rules need to allow those adjustments to be made with minimums.

Single-A Transformation: Good and Bad

This is where the ongoing sports experiment will take place. Pitchers at High-A will first need to remove the rubber before attempting a pickup throw on any basis. Pitchers in the Low-A League will be limited to two step-off or pickoff throws per plate appearance. If they close the third stage or attempt a pickoff, they will need to remove the runner from there, otherwise a call will be made when the runner is safely back. The threshold may shrink to a one-step-off / pickoff attempt (i.e., not enough evasion) based on preliminary results.

It is not clear whether a step will be treated with a pitcher if it breaks contact with the rubber and the catcher cannot find it with signs. Can a pitcher look like a signal problem to get an extra step-off or two?

One effect of the phase-off mandate would be the end of the “bald” move. Many right-handers have learned how to bend their hind legs on rubber before spinning and firing at the first base, a move that is considered to be balk because it betrays the runner. The left-handers are, of course, famous for not stepping directly towards first base, but also not far enough home to trigger a balk call. Eliminating this gray area is appropriate for the runner, so it is a plus.

But will these changes (and a larger base in Triple-A) encourage MLB teams to steal more often in the future? What is the success rate for minors to steal MLB analytics departments? 70 percent to 85 percent, say?

As for other single-A experiments. . .

The robot umps (official name: automatic ball-strike system) will be used in the Low-A Southeast, aka the Florida State League. This step is the next step towards implementation in large companies; It is considered a season for bugs to work. Having fun balls and eye strikes in the sky when a pitch barely nicks a corner, dudes.

The pitch and break clock are coming for Low-A West, aka East California League. There are already clocks in the Double-A and Triple-A leagues, but MLB says the Low-A system will be more of an extension. Expect some players to complain of feeling hasty, but this change is the most benign of the bunch.