Everything you need to know about MLB’s rule changes ahead of the Blue Jays’ season opener

Another Blue Jays season is upon us, one that will feature a tinkered roster as the team looks to rebound from last year's disappointing playoff exit. But the lineup isn't the only thing that will look different on opening day this year.

Major League Baseball will implement a set of new rules designed to improve the game's pace of play, encourage more action on the bases and improve player safety. Among the most significant rule changes are the introduction of a pitch clock, bigger bases and restrictions on the infield shift.

To the casual viewer, these changes may seem minor - even aesthetic. But for longtime baseball fans , the new rules represent a controversial attempt to modernize the American pastime.

We break down everything you need to know about the new MLB rules and how they will impact the game.

Why did MLB decide to make changes?

For years, professional sports analysts and MLB executives have complained about baseball's waning popularity, especially among young people. In January, Cincinnati Reds president Phil Castellini called baseball an industry in crisis."

Much of the concern stems from the sport's attendence numbers, which have declined slowly over the past 15 years or so. In 2022, the MLB drew 64.6 million fans - the fewest in a non-COVID-impacted season since the sport expanded to 30 teams in 1998.

Despite the handwringing, baseball remains the second most popular sport in the U.S., trailing only football, according to a recent Ipsos poll of American sports fans. Still, the sport is slowly declining in popularity among the 18-34 age group, with only 23 per cent of the poll's respondents saying they were fans of baseball.

Young folks, so the theory goes, think baseball is a boring and archaic slog. MLB's solution: Make the game faster, encourage more hits and facilitate more baserunning.

Our guiding star in thinking about changes to the game has always been our fans," commissioner Rob Manfred said in February. We've conducted thorough and ongoing research with our fans, and certain things are really clear. Number one, fans want games with better pace. Two, fans want more action, more balls in play. And, three, fans want to see more of the athleticism of our great players."

The changes have been thoroughly tested and refined for years in the minor leagues," Manfred told reporters, estimating that some 8,000 games have been played under the new rules. They were implemented in the big leagues for the first time during spring training.

The pitch clock

The most significant - and controversial - change is the introduction of the pitch clock.

The rule: Pitchers will have just 15 seconds between pitches, and 20 seconds when there are runners on base. Batters must be in the box and alert to the pitcher" by the eight-second mark.

Pitchers who violate the pitch clock are charged with an automatic ball. Batters who violate the the eight-second rule are charged with an automatic strike.

The good: Those who find the game dull or slow-moving will surely be pleased with the game's new tempo. In spring training, the pitch clock has shaved off more than 20 minutes per game on average. Last spring, the average game was three hours and one minute. This spring, it is two hours and 39 minutes.

Yankees pitcher Wandy Peralta struck out a batter in just 20 seconds in a March 2 game. In previous seasons, pitchers have taken 20 seconds to throw a single pitch.

The bad: Many baseball purists fear the pitch clock, which forces athletes to act fast and make decisions in a matter of seconds, will diminsh the drama and intrigue that make the game special. Indeed, of the major sports, baseball is perhaps the most cerebral.

In spring training, we've already seen how the pitch clock can nullify an exciting play or destroy the momentum of a high stakes moment.

Gregor's take: MLB has made a lot of changes in recent years to speed up its sport. Most of the moves - limiting mound visits, the three-batter minimum and shortening the length of walk-up songs - barely made an impact. This one should be different. The best part is none of the action has changed, it's just being condensed into a shorter time. There might be growing pains early on as players adjust but it will be worth the effort.

Bigger bases

The league's decision to introduce bigger bases aims to encourage more baserunning and reduce injuries. The change is far less controversial and has been largely welcomed by players.

The rule: The three bases will increase from 15 square inches to 18 square inches. Home plate will remain the same size. They look like a pizza box," Red Sox manager Alex Cora told The Associated Press. The change cuts down the distance between the bases by 4.5 inches, and between home and first base and third base and home plate by three inches.

The good: Over the past decade, base stealing has slowly declined. In 2012, the MLB recorded 3,229 steals on 4,365 attempts. In 2022, that was down to 2,486 steals on 3,297.

Larger bases and shorter distances between bases aims to encourage more aggressive baserunning, thus adding more excitement to the game. I've definitely been thrown out by less than (4.5 inches) ... so maybe that starts factoring into results," Chicago Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner told AP.

But early data shows that bigger bases won't necessarily lead to a huge jump in stolen bases. Two Triple-A leagues used the bigger bases for half of the 2021 season. One experienced a 2.2 per cent increase in successful steals, and the other posted a 0.7 per cent increase.

The change, which gives runners more space to avoid collision with infielders, does seem to have a significant impact on player safety. While testing the bigger bases in the minors, there was a 13 per cent decline in what the league calls injury events near the bases" between 2021 to 2022.

The bad: Baseball purists might object to the idea of tinkering with part of the game that arguably isn't broken, but players generally seem to be OK with the change.

Gregor's take: At first this idea seemed a bit silly, but most people will barely notice the difference. The bases are bigger, but only marginally so - it's like going from a small pizza box to a medium size. While that might be enough to convince some players to attempt more stolen bases, an increased running game seems more likely to come from the limit on pick-off attempts and pitchers not having as much time to focus on baserunners because of the pitch clock. I didn't like this change at first, but after seeing the new bases in person I don't think it's anything to get worked up about.

Banning the shift

New limits on how teams are allowed to position themselves on defence are designed to increase the batting average on balls in play, to allow infielders to better showcase their athleticism and to restore more traditional outcomes on batted balls," according to the league.

The rule: When a pitch is thrown, defensive teams must have a minimum of four players on the infield, with at least two infielders completely on each side of second base. Previously, teams could shift" all their infielders to one side of second base to better defend against batters who are known to pull" their hits a certain direction. The shift challenged batters to adjust their swing, making it more difficult to get on base. If the infielders violate the rule at the time of a pitch, the offence can choose an automatic ball or the result of the play.

The good: A ban on the shift means more balls in play, which means more action and more runs. Left-handed batters, who were most often impacted by the shift, will also welcome the change.

The new rule will also impact how the game looks. The shift, which has been around for decades but has become far more ubiquitous in recent years, makes the game aesthetically awkward and less entertaining," Sports Illustrated journalist Tom Verducci argues. In the blend of art and science, baseball should always be more about an athletic competition than an intellectual contest among hackers."

The bad: Baseball is a game of athleticism, but it's also a game of strategy. Fans who value strategy and advanced analytics - the Billy Beanes of the world - may bemoan the new rule. As will some, but not all, pitchers ...

Gregor's take: This is another welcome change, but one that may require further tweaking in the future. The current ban does not cover outfielders and some teams figure to get creative with their alignments. MLB believes teams risk giving up extra bases if they move outfielders into non-traditional spots, but advanced scouting and analytics departments still figure to crack to the code for strategy that works best. Still, this is a worthwhile change because banning the infield shift makes the game closer to how it was originally intended to be played and should provide infielders with additional opportunities to showcase their athleticism.

What else is changing?

Pickoffs: Pitchers will only be allowed two disengagements" - any time a pitcher tries to pickoff a baserunner or steps of the rubber for any reason - per plate appearance. If a pitcher disengages" a third time, he will be charged with a balk, which allows all baserunners to advance one base.

This rule will likely be a challenge to enforce, at least at first. Some fans are worried it will diminish the drama that exists between a pitcher and his opposing team.

Position players pitching: When your favourite team is getting thrashed, there's always been one thing to look forward to: a position player (non-pitcher) taking the mound.

Unfortunately, we'll be seeing a lot less of that in 2023. Under the new rules, position players can only enter the game if at least one of the following criteria is met:

• The game is in extra innings;

• A team is trailing by at least eight runs at any point

• A team is winning by at least 10 runs in the ninth inning.

The aim is to curb the number of position-player pitching appearances, which reached a record 132 in 2022. Though it's fun for fans, these appearances are starting to impact offensive and defensive metrics, which could in turn impact free agency and arbitration, ESPN reports.

Automatic runner: Since 2020, teams begin each inning after the ninth with an automatic runner on second base. This applies only to regular-season games. As part of the 2023 rulebook update, this rule is now permanent.

Richie Assaly is a Toronto-based digital producer for the Star. Reach him via email: rassaly@thestar.ca