Thanks to a number of rule changes, base stealing was back in vogue last season. There were 3,503 stolen bases across MLB in 2023, the most in a season since 1987 and over 40% more than we saw in 2022 (2,486). In this new environment, the bar has been raised for the number of...
Among the several MLB rule changes this offseason were the pitch timer, a limit on pickoff attempts and the bases becoming slightly larger (and therefore, slightly closer to one another). An expected by-product of these rules was that stolen base attempt
It took only five games, covering six extra innings, to see how wrong I was.The new rules, introduced temporarily for this anomalous season, work. Rather than force routinized late-game strategies, putting a runner on second base to start each half-inning has created more variety. The...
The stolen base in particular is emphatically back, as limiting the amount of times pitchers can throw over and increasing the size of the bases has made it a much higher percentage play. With that in mind, let's dive into the players who have swiped the
even getting to the experimental stage is no guarantee that a new rule will eventually be implemented in the majors. If any momentum builds towards making this change a reality, teams would have plenty of warning so that they could alter how they target and develop pitchers for this new ...
The new MLB rules are already having a big impact on offense, base stealing and pace of game making it enjoyable to watch.
The length of games might shrink, but the bases themselves have increased in size from 15 inches to 18 inches in width, serving two purposes: creating more base stealing opportunities, while helping prevent injuries caused by collisions between baserunners and fielders. ...
even getting to the experimental stage is no guarantee that a new rule will eventually be implemented in the majors. If any momentum builds towards making this change a reality, teams would have plenty of warning so that they could alter how they target and develop pitchers for this new ...
Last season he turned a corner, hitting 14 homers and stealing 47 bases, mostly in Double-A as a 21-year-old, then also getting a brief big league debut at the end of the season. He's a plus runner who can capably play all three up-the-middle positions (and did all three ...
The games were shorter. Stealing a base became too easy. Players were constantly getting hurt. And the best teams in the regular season rested, rusted, and got quickly dismissed in the playoffs. But as long as it all made money for MLB, Commissioner Rob Manfred and his owners could care ...