Originally Posted by :
he MLB commissioner's office is reportedly considering a rule change that would require starting pitchers to play at least six innings per game.
MLB officials spoke to ESPN and expressed that the league is looking to both have starting pitchers spend more time in the game and also cut back on injuries. While these two viewpoints seem contradictory, the league also reportedly wants more balance in terms of strikeouts versus hits. A pitcher who knows he has to stay in the game longer may take some velocity off his pitches, making it easier for the batter.
"We are interested in increasing the amount of action in the game, restoring the prominence of the starting pitcher and reducing the prevalence of pitching injuries," an MLB official told ESPN. "There are a whole host of options in addressing those issues."
The alleged objective is to prioritize starting pitching but also avoid leaving in a struggling pitcher simply to meet the six-inning minimum.
To counteract this possibility, some caveats would have to be carved out. Some of the suggested exceptions would allow a pitcher to leave the game after:
Throwing 100 pitches
Giving up 4+ earned runs
An injury followed by mandatory time on the injured list
In regards to the minimum, Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Seth Lugo said "I do that anyway."
"We all want to go at least six," he added.
"It's such a bad idea," baseball analyst Gary Sheffield Jr. told Blaze News. "So bad that it would never be considered by the players."
Sheffield stressed that requiring such a pitch count would be extremely detrimental to young pitchers.
"At the velocities they're throwing these days most young arms would explode."
Arizona Diamondbacks General Manager Mike Hazen suggested pulling back on velocity would be an inevitable result.
"That's a tough thing, because that's where you get outs," Hazen explained.
According to Bleacher Report, MLB starters are averaging 5.25 innings in 2024 while Triple-A starters are averaging 4.3. This appears to reveal that development would be required in the minor leagues to extend the life of a starting pitcher another .75 innings in the majors.
Teams have become much more strict in terms of pitch counts for their starters in recent years, so much so that only 21 pitchers have thrown complete games in 2024. Just three pitchers — Kevin Gausman (TOR), Max Fried (ATL), Cristopher Sanchez (PHI) — have more than one.
Aside from the minimum-innings rule, the league has also reportedly considered limiting the size of pitching staffs and implementing the double-hook DH rule.
Currently being experimented with in the independent Atlantic League, the double-hook DH rule causes a team to lose their designated hitter if they remove their starting pitcher from the game.
Originally Posted by lewdog:
I'm always here bitch. I haven't gone anywhere away from baseball, unless you count all the times I go to your mom's house!
Do you go to his mom’s house to watch baseball? Does she have a nice TV? [Reply]
Originally Posted by :
"It's such a bad idea," baseball analyst Gary Sheffield Jr. told Blaze News. "So bad that it would never be considered by the players."
Should have just ended the article right there. This will never happen. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Pasta Little Brioni:
It's a dumb idea, but to be honest baseball has been fucking garbage for awhile now. Terrible product as bad as college hoops
Baseball is a joke, everything should have one big asterisk next to it from now on. [Reply]
Originally Posted by hawkchief:
I used to really enjoy baseball but MLB and their stubborn refusal to engage in meaningful revenue sharing has exposed itself as a stupid so called sport. MLB can KC to he to rot as far as I’m concerned. None of these stupid gimmicks are going to make a difference at this point.
Nah baseball can be just fine but as of right now it’s a bunch of pitchers throwing their arms out. And I think we’re still way too early for hitters and pitchers to fully understand how to work around the pitch clock. But for now the lack of offense makes it boring as hell to watch. Until then just enjoy watching Witt, judge and ohtani cook [Reply]
Originally Posted by chiefzilla1501:
Manfred has been one of the worst commissioners in the history of any sport so this doesn’t surprise me even a little bit
At least he’s taking steps to try to fix a broken sport. [Reply]
Baseball is better with the pitch clock but baseball's problem is NOT needing more runs. Baseball's problem is that only 6-7 teams compete every year since the late 70's, early 80's.
The NFL has the best structure by far to bring in new teams each year into the playoffs. 7-8 teams drop out and new ones come in on average each year.
When your team has had no hope for 45 years, why waste time watching? [Reply]
Originally Posted by KC_Connection:
At least he’s taking steps to try to fix a broken sport.
Not that you have a lot of credibility anyway; however you lost any you had by attempting to defend Manfred. Hell, Bud Selig was arguably a better baseball commissioner than Manfred. [Reply]
Originally Posted by huskerdooz:
Not that you have a lot of credibility anyway; however you lost any you had by attempting to defend Manfred. Hell, Bud Selig was arguably a better baseball commissioner than Manfred.
I’m no fan of Manfred but the decision to implement the pitch clock is easily the best rule change in baseball this century. That’s undeniable.