MLB Approves Rule Change to Crack Down on Pitch Tipping, Base Coach Positioning for 2026 Season

Ahead of the 2026 season, MLB will implement a rule change preventing coaches at first and third base from leaving their box until after a pitch is thrown.

Per ESPN's Jesse Rogers, MLB owners voted on Thursday to approve the rule change that is designed to help reduce the coaches' ability to determine what pitch is going to be thrown via pitch tipping.

According to Rogers, the base coaches have been moving up and down the baseline more frequently in recent years in order to get a better angle of the pitcher.

"Based on pregame homework, coaches are able to figure out what pitch is about to be thrown and then either relay that to the hitter directly or indirectly via a runner on second base," Rogers wrote.

There have been instances over the years in which teams have raised concerns about some of the activity from base coaches. One example from the 2023 season involved the Toronto Blue Jays and New York Yankees, with the Blue Jays voicing their displeasure when Aaron Judge appeared to be glancing to his right during an at-bat either toward the first-base coach or Yankee dugout in what seemed like an attempt to get a signal.

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MLB didn't believe the Yankees or Judge were engaged in any wrongdoing, but Blue Jays manager John Schneider was unhappy.

"There's boxes on the field for a reason," Schneider told reporters.

Rogers did note MLB asked both the Blue Jays and Los Angeles Dodgers to keep their coaches in the box before Game 7 of the World Series. Umpires will be tasked with enforcing the box rule going forward.

Base coaches are still permitted to operate outside of the designated area after a pitch is thrown, such as when a third base coach moves down the line to determine if they want to signal a baserunner to advance or stop.

The rule change comes after MLB saw a slight uptick in offensive production to 4.45 runs per game in 2025, an increase from 4.39 in 2024. Home runs per game also went up from 1.12 two years ago to 1.16 last season.