MLB Announces Rule Changes to Increase Pace of Play

Major League Baseball announced a series of initiatives it will implement during the 2015 season with hope of improving the pace of games.   

MLB Public Relations passed along the complete list of updated standards:

The first point is a major one. Over the years it's become common for batters to step out of the box and go through an elaborate routine between pitches. The same goes for pitchers who step off the rubber to reset.

The league's attempt to limit those occurrences should have a noticeable effect during a game, as cutting down on the dead time between pitches will go a long way toward speeding up the action.

Of course, it comes down to enforcement. The release notes the league won't fine anybody during spring training or the first month of the regular season while teams adapt to the new rules.

On Wednesday, Boston Red Sox slugger David Ortiz commented on the rules and voiced his displeasure, via Gordon Edes of ESPNBoston.com. He said, in part:

"

It seems like every rule goes in the pitcher's favor. After a pitch, you got to stay in the box? One foot? I call that bulls---.

When you come out of the box, they don't understand you're thinking about what the [pitcher] is trying to do. This is not like, you go to the plate with an empty mind. No, no, no. When you see a guy, after a pitch, coming out of the box, he's not just doing it. Our minds are speeding up.

I saw one pitch, I come out, I'm thinking, 'what is this guy going to try to do to me next.' I'm not walking around just because there are cameras all over the place and I want my buddies back home to see me and this and that. It doesn't go that way.

When you force a hitter to do that, 70 percent you're out, because you don't have time to think. And the only time you have to think about things is that time. So, I don't know how this baseball game is going to end up.

"

While the second group of changes probably won't be as apparent on the surface, it should help the overall time. The middle three bullet points all address the time involved in commercial breaks. The league wants to start the process sooner so play resumes quicker when networks return from break.

Beyond that, there's no sign of a pitch clock for this season. The league is testing the idea of a timer in minor league games to ensure pitches are thrown within a defined period rather than relying solely on the umpires to keep things moving. Whether it will be implemented down the line is unclear.

The other changes that have been made should help, as long as they are strictly enforced after the April grace period ends. Whether that will be enough to dramatically change the viewing experience at the ballpark and on television is still a major question mark, though.