Major League Baseball implemented some new rules which could be considered radical changes in time for the 2023 season. The most talked about opening day was the pitch clock. Just a few minutes after Cubs starting pitcher Marcus Stroman made the first pitch clock violation in MLB history, we saw the opposite happen at Fenway Park when a batter was called for violating the clock’s new rules. Later in that game, we saw the first strikeout on a foul.
Keep in mind that the pitch clock doesn’t only go one way. Of course, the pitcher must throw the ball within the allotted time (15 seconds with the bases empty and 20 seconds with runners on), but the batter must also be ready to hit in time. Specifically, the batter must be in the penalty area and ready before eight seconds remain on the clock.
In the Orioles vs. the Red Sox Thursday afternoon, Orioles’ right fielder Austin Hays became the first batter to break this rule in MLB history (Giants first baseman JD Davis committed one about two minutes later at Yankee Stadium, narrowly missing the answer to the trivia question) . Boston’s Ryan Brasier was on the mound because of Hays’ lax approach.
And then, later in that same game, Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers was the first batter to strikeout on an automatic strike violation. Remember that the batter must be ready by the time the clock strikes eight seconds.
That seems very strict to me. Devers was in the penalty area and was getting ready, but he didn’t look up at the pitcher after eight seconds. It was the right call as per the rule, but it’s also worth wondering if the referees will loosen up a bit as the season progresses. Anyway, it’s something to look at here in the beginning.
As a reminder, the violation has an automatic ball if the pitcher is the offender and an automatic strike if the batter commits the violation.