March 15, 2021
Last week, MLB announced that it was implementing several rule changes throughout the minor leagues in 2021. While the hostile takeover of the minor leagues was based primarily on economic factors, the new arrangement allows the league to act unilaterally on other issues as well, including the use of affiliate teams as testing grounds for new rules experimentations. Most of these rules had been proposed at one time or another in the recent past, and the league is spreading the adjustments across the various minor league levels:
Base sizes: In Triple-A, the sizes of each base will be increased from 15-inch squares to 18-inch squares.
Mar 11, 2021
Major League Baseball will experiment with several rule changes in the minor leagues this season, including an automated strike zone, restrictions on defensive positioning and larger bases.
The league said in a statement Friday the “changes being tested are designed to increase action on the basepaths, create more balls in play, improve the pace and length of games, and reduce player injuries.”
The league’s automatic ball-strike system will be used at some Low-A Southeast League games, the closest that computer umpires have come to the majors. ABS has already been used in the independent Atlantic League and the Arizona Fall League. It got mixed reviews from players, with complaints about how the TrackMan system grades breaking pitches down in the zone.
Triple-A is getting larger bases, expanding first, second and third from 15 by 15 inches to 18 by 18. MLB said it hopes to reduce player injuries and collisions, and also that the shortened distance between bases should “have a modest impact” increasing stolen bases and infield hits.
Pitchers at the lower levels will also be restricted in their ability to hold baserunners. At all High-A levels, pitchers will have to fully disengage from the rubber prior to throwing to a base under penalty of a balk. The rule will eliminate the most effective style of pickoff move used by left-handed pitchers perhaps most effectively by Steve Carlton and Andy Pettitte.
Minor leagues to have experimental rule changes this season
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Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images
Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred has seemingly entertained every proposal to change the game, but this year, he will actually experiment with some of those rules in minor league games. On Wednesday, MLB announced several experimental rule changes in the minors, with the expectation that if successful, some could be incorporated into the big leagues. Here’s a rundown of some of the changes:
Larger bases (Triple-A only)
The size of first, second, and third base will be increased from 15 inches square to 18 inches square. The Competition Committee thinks this could lead to greater success on steals and more runners beating out infield hits. Baseball is also looking to reduce injuries and collisions, such as baserunners accidentally (or intentionally) spiking first basemen as they run by.