MLB to Test Designated Pinch Runner, More Rule Changes in Atlantic League

Major League Baseball implemented several rule changes this season that have drastically shortened games, and the league will test several other potential alterations this season in the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball.

The ALPB will experiment with the use of a designated pinch runner, a single disengagement per at-bat for pitchers and the "double-hook" designated hitter rule, as Lindsey Adler of the Wall Street Journal relayed.

Here's a further explanation of each rule:

• Designated pinch runner: "Each club will list a player who is not otherwise in the starting lineup as a designated pinch runner. That player may then be substituted at any point into the game as a baserunner. The player who is substituted for, as well as the pinch runner, may then return to the game without penalty."
• Single disengagement per at-bat: "Unlike the new MLB rule which allows a pitcher to disengage from the pitching rubber twice during an at-bat, the Atlantic League test will permit only a single disengagement per at-bat in 2023."
• "Double-hook" DH rule: "Allows clubs to use the designated hitter throughout the game provided that the club's starting pitcher has completed at least five innings. If the starter fails to make it through the fifth, the club then loses the DH for the remainder of the game." 

MLB vice president of baseball operations Morgan Sword said in a statement, per MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince:

"We thank the Atlantic League for their continued partnership. In recent years, the ALPB's experimental rules have aimed to emphasize athleticism, improved pace of play and other means of giving fans the game they want to see. We are excited for another great season of Atlantic League baseball and the entertainment that it will bring to fans."

The Atlantic League is no stranger to testing out potential MLB rule changes. It tested out the defensive shift restrictions and bigger bases that were introduced in the majors this season.

The ALPB is also testing out an automated ball-strike system this season—otherwise known as robot umpires—and a ball-strike challenge rule that allows teams to challenge an umpire's ball/strike call three times per game.

The designated pinch runner rule certainly sounds interesting, as having more speed on the bases will leads to a more exciting product.

The single disengagement rule feels unnecessary, though, as stolen bases have already exploded this season with the implementation of the two-disengagement rule.

Through Sunday, teams had stolen 347 bases in 2023, according to Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, which means the league is on pace to have 3,572 stolen bases this year.

For reference, only 2,486 stolen bases were recorded in 2022.

The "double-hook" designated hitter rule also feels unnecessary. For instance, what happens if a starting pitcher gets hurt or gets lit up for a significant amount of runs early on? Would a team really be penalized by losing one of its best bats as it tries to get back into the game?