MLB Fans Thrilled by Pace of 1st Spring Training Game with New Pitch Clock Rules

Early reviews on the new pitch clock rules in Major League Baseball have been overwhelmingly positive thus far after a pair of two-and-a-half-hour spring training games (San Diego Padres vs. Seattle Mariners, Kansas City Royals vs. Texas Rangers) went down Friday.

In summary, pitchers must throw the ball within 15 seconds when the bases are empty and 20 seconds when there's at least one runner on base. Hitters must be in the batter's box when there are eight seconds left on the clock in either situation. The clock reduced minor league game times by an average of 25 minutes in 2022.

t's a good sign moving forward as MLB makes a massive adjustment to its game play between the clock, the defensive shift bans and larger bases.

The pitch clock will make its MLB regular-season debut on Thursday, March 30, when the New York Yankees host the San Francisco Giants at 1:05 p.m. ET to kick off Opening Day.