Rob Manfred Says Pitch Clock Is High on 'Priority List' for MLB Owners After Lockout

Major League Baseball is still hoping to implement a pitch clock throughout the league. 

Appearing on SportsCenter (h/t ESPN.com's David Schoenfield), MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said that a pitch clock "remains high on the priority list of ownership."

"We have a great game, but historically I think the game was a little crisper the way it moved along," he added. "It had a little more action in it, more frequent balls in play, and getting back to that form of baseball would be an improvement for us, for the players and for the fans." 

As part of the new collective bargaining agreement between MLB and the MLB Players Association, a joint competition committee will be formed in 2023 to decide on potential rule changes. 

Among the changes that could be considered is a pitch clock, defensive shifts, larger bases and an automated strike zone. 

The 11-person committee will be made up of four active players, one umpire and six members appointed by MLB. 

Minor League Baseball is expanding its use of a pitch clock in 2022 to include all full-season leagues. Pitchers will have 14 seconds with no runners on base and 19 seconds with runners on to deliver a pitch. 

Per Kyle Glaser of Baseball America, MiLB began using a 20-second pitch clock in 2015 at Double-A and Triple-A. The rule was changed to give pitchers 15 seconds with no runners on base and 20 seconds with runners on in 2018. 

From 2014 to 2015, the average game time in Double-A dropped by 10 minutes (two hours, 51 minutes to two hours, 41 minutes) and 12 minutes in Triple-A (2:59 to 2:47). 

The average game time per season has fluctuated significantly between the two levels. Triple-A games have taken an average of more than three hours in each of the past two seasons (2019 and 2021; the 2020 season was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic). 

Double-A games took an average of 2:58 to complete in 2021. It was the longest average game time since pitch clocks were implemented. 

The average game time in MLB last season was a record 3:10. It was an increase of three minutes from the 60-game season in 2020. 

If the committee adopts any rule changes, it is required to give the players 45 days' notice before the new rules go into effect.