America’s pastime is in for a major jolt this season. Significant rule changes include a pitch clock, larger bases and banning extreme defensive shifts — all of which should make a for a wild Opening Day on March 30.
Specifically, pitchers will have 15 seconds between each pitch with the bases empty and 20 seconds with runners on base; those bases, previously 15 square inches, are now 18 square inches — narrowing the gap between each one by 4.5 inches; and two infielders must be on each side of second base with both feet on the dirt or infield grass. All of the changes are designed to make the sport more exciting for fans by quickening the game’s pace and improving action in the field.
Here are 23 numbers to keep in mind as to why these changes are needed:
• 3:07: Average time, in hours and minutes, of an MLB game during the 2023 season (Esquire.com)
• 2:45: Average time, in hours and minutes, of an MLB game during the 1989 season (CBSSports.com)
• 2:30: Average time, in hours and minutes, of an MLB game in the 1950s (Esquire.com)
• 36: Complete games by pitchers during the 2022 MLB season (Esquire.com)
• 734: Complete games by pitchers during the 1982 MLB season (Esquire.com)
• 8.40: Strikeouts per game per team during the 2022 season (Esquire.com)
• 5.04: Strikeouts per game per team during the 1982 season (Esquire.com)
• .243/8.16: Batting average among players/hits per game per team in 2022 (Esquire.com)
• .261/8.93: Batting average among players/hits per game per team in 1982 (Esquire.com)
• 4: Number of teams that won 100 or more games during the 2022 regular season: Los Angeles Dodgers, Houston Astros, Atlanta Braves and New York Mets (WalletHub.com)
• 47,671: Average home-game attendance at Dodger Stadium for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2022 — highest in the league (ESPN.com)
• 9,973: Average home-game attendance at RingCentral Coliseum for the Oakland Athletics in 2022 — lowest in the league (ESPN.com)
• 47,574: Seating capacity at Seattle’s T-Mobile Park, site of the 2023 All-Star Game on July 11 (ballparksofbaseball.com)
• 64,556,678: Number of total fans attending MLB regular-season games in 2022 (BaseballAmerica.com)
• 26,483: Average attendance at an MLB game in 2022 (BaseballAmerica.com)
• 79,503,195: Number of total fans attending MLB regular-season games in 2007 — an all-time high (BaseballAmerica.com)
• 30: Number of teams that will play ball on Opening Day — in other words, all of them (USAToday.com)
• 55: Number of years since every team played its first game of the season on the same day (USAToday.com)
• 2: Number of games the St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs will play at London Stadium on June 24-25 as part of the MLB World Tour (NBCSports.com)
• 2019: Year of the Mitel & MLB London Series at London Stadium between the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees — the first regular-season games ever played in Europe (Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park)
• 14: Number of MLB teams, out of 30, whose games are broadcast by Bally Sports and Diamond Sports Group, which recently filed for bankruptcy. (ESPN.com)
• 60,600: Average number of households tuning into regional sports network broadcasts during the 2022 season (TheAthletic.com)
• 219,000: Average number of households tuning into New York Yankees television broadcasts during the 2022 season (TheAthletic.com)
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