ARLINGTON, Texas — Shift or no shift, Whit Merrifield likes to take a few steps beyond the grounder, cutting back to the infield when his pitcher comes up and delivers. The Toronto Blue Jays super utility is far from the only infielder to prepare for every pitch this way, and he’s been doing it for as long as he can remember, but according to Major League Baseball’s rule changes unveiled for the 2023 season, his long-established habit is out the window.
The incoming requirement that infielders have both feet inside the cut means “you’re going to be halfway in the dirt” with a kickoff, he explained, “so it changes the whole pre-pitch routine.” Concerns about disrupting the subtleties of the game, as well mass opposition to the change is why the four players on the Competition Committee representing the players’ association, Merrifield among them, voted against implementing the new rules.
“The players weren’t against the pitch clock or the substitution ban,” Merrifield said. “There’s just certain things that as players we’ve tried to avoid as far as changing the dynamic of the game that comes with the pitch clock and the substitution. We raised those issues and tried to address them in a few different ways, and we didn’t feel like the final proposal addressed the issues that would come with those things. We wanted to put it on record that we are not in favor of all the specifics that came along with the rule changes.”
That the final vote ultimately fell along management-union lines — six in favor, all on the ownership side, including Blue Jays president and CEO Mark Shapiro, to four against — reflected the continuing rift between the parties. The Competition Committee, a clever creation that emerged from the bitter lockout, offered an opportunity for countries to work more collaboratively on rule changes. But the 6-4 lineup plus an umpire’s representative means the league always has the final say, and in the body’s first major action, commissioner Rob Manfred swung that gavel.
“It went very well,” Merrifield said of the committee process. “It felt like we were heard. I felt the talks were good. They were two-way. They were real. It was just disappointing to see the actual proposal and see all the things we talked about not there. I don’t know why that was. I don’t know if Manfred came in and said, no, this is how we’re going to do it, or that the plan all along was to make us feel like a part of it. I do not know. But I feel like the calls went well. It was a bit disappointing.”
Especially since the three changes are so significant, even if not entirely surprising, given Major League Baseball’s testing of them in the minor leagues in recent seasons.
The pitch clock is of the essence, with pitchers having to start their pitch within 15 seconds when the bases are empty and 20 seconds when runners are on. Pitchers can separate the rubber twice during a fight without penalty, limiting them to two pickoff attempts. Hitters, meanwhile, must be ready with eight seconds left on the clock and can call time once per trip to the plate.
Next are the defensive shift restrictions, which will force two infielders to be positioned on either side of second base with both feet on the ground. In addition, inside players will not be able to switch sides unless there is a defensive substitution.
Finally, in the least controversial switch, the bases would be widened from 15 inches to 18 inches, reducing the gap between first and second and second and third by 4.5 inches, but more importantly creating a safer playing space on first base.
During a press conference in New York, Manfred deflected some of the player backlash, saying that “if you look back at the changes that have come to the game over the last few years, there’s always a period at the beginning where, because we all love the game so much , that there is an unwillingness to see change.”
“It’s just a reflection of people’s affection for the game,” he continued. “Then as you watch the change in the operation, I think there’s more acceptance, and in many cases people who were initially opposed actually become supporters of the change.”
There was certainly no shortage of anxiety surrounding the Blue Jays, for whom the new rules will force change on both an individual and collective level. Some numbers to crunch:
• Defensively, they used shifts in 54.4 percent of all plate appearances, according to Statcast, more than any other team in the majors and well above the 34.3 percent average.
• They also struck out right-handed hitters to a career-high 47.6 percent, more than double the 20.3 percent average.
• The Blue Jays have also been much more aggressive in their use of four-man outfields, deploying them in 238 games, according to Statcast, more than twice as many as the second-place Tampa Bay Rays’ 103.
• Among members of their regular staff, Trevor Richards has the most strikeouts at 67.5 percent of his plate appearances, followed by Jose Berrios (62.3), Ross Stripling (61.4), Jordan Romano (55.8) and Alec Manoah (54.5). Kevin Gausman, in particular, was among the lowest at 45 percent.
• The turnover is less common against their forwards, although Cavan Bijou, at a team-best 83.4 percent, Jackie Bradley Jr. at 64.3 and George Springer at 60.1 will have the field open for them. Santiago Espinal, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Teoscar Hernandez and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. have been replaced in 11.3 percent of plate appearances or fewer. Bo Bichette has been replaced once all year.
“Like any team, we’re going to have to make some adjustments in the offseason and see how we deploy defensively,” interim manager John Schneider said. “We’ll deal with it, it’s mainly up to us to adapt accordingly as an organization, as a staff and go from there.”
Gausman sees the advantage in limiting innings and likes to work quickly to get hitters on their heels, but even so, “I just don’t agree with the pitch clock, I just don’t like to change the game,” he said. “I’m kind of an old school mentality where I think the game is great the way it is. I don’t think we should change anything. I think hitters have to adapt to how bad pitchers are now. And that’s why guys can’t hit the ball where they want to because pitches are moving at historic speeds with historic movement. And so I think that’s Rob’s way of trying to combat that.”
Likewise, Bijou immediately noted how the defensive limitations will open up the 3-4 hole for him and likely mean a few more hits per season. But he added: “I watched my dad play for the first 12 years of his life and fell in love with the game, so I hate to see it changed.”
Biggio experienced the pitch clock firsthand during a rehab assignment at triple-A Buffalo earlier this season and felt it was “a little too fast.” Although the MLB timer will be set a little slower at 15 and 20 versus 14 and 18/19 in the minors, “it’s going to take a little bit of an adjustment period next year, especially with guys who have been in the league longer than I have you are.”
During his appearances with Buffalo, Bijou consciously reminded himself to be ready with nine seconds left “and it even took my mind off what I was trying to do in the box a little bit. It’s a kind of distraction. … You have to change your routine between pitches.”
Gausman expected the introduction of the pitch clock to be more staggered, Bijou hoped for a little more pace, and Merrifield said the players were pushing for a more gradual introduction of the changeup, with players either allowed to stay on the ground and play where they want, or stay on either side of the second but is given more rein to move into the outfield.
“At the end of the day, they’re going to do whatever they want, they really don’t need our approval,” Bijo said. “If you look at the voting, all the players voted against and they really don’t care. That sucks to hear, but it’s kind of the game. You have to make adjustments to where the game is going. We will see.”
Consequences, both intended and not, are sure to follow.
A study cited by MLB showed that fans most enjoyed stolen base attempts, triples, doubles and great defensive plays, while the least popular actions on the field were mound visits, walks, pitching changes and strikeouts for pickup.
Over the last 25 years, the average playing time has risen from 2:56 to 3:07 despite a decrease in scoring from 4.77 to 4.30. His batting average dropped from .267 to .243 as strikeouts jumped from 17.1 percent to 22.3 percent. Stolen base attempts dropped sharply from 2.15 to 1.35.
Merrifield worried how the art of the stolen base would disappear, with capable baserunners forcing two pickoff attempts before flying out in the third.
“It’s just going to be a track race, you’re not going to have to put any work into it, really,” he said. “Get a big lead, make the field take over and watch the clock and when the clock runs out you’re going to go.”
MLB consultant Theo Epstein pointed to broader trends in the game and argued that the rule changes were made in “an effort to restore the game to earlier eras and to more traditional norms that involved more contact, more action, a faster pace and greater entertainment value. “
These efforts come at the expense of norms and routines often preached by player-established organizations. Although minor leaguers adapted quickly, change is easier for players early in their careers. Some big leaguers are sure to struggle as they search for new comfort zones and patterns….
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