MLB will move pitching rubber back two feet in Atlantic League experiment - MLB

Last month we learned that Major League Baseball had entered into an agreement with the Atlantic League in which the former will use the latter as a lab to test new rules, equipment and technology. Today Major League Baseball issued a press release outlining what, in fact, those experiments will be.

Specifically:

The mound will be moved back two feet to 62’6″;
Larger bases will be used (18″ instead of 15″);
Defensive shifts will be banned;
A radar-enabled strike zone will be employed (robot umps!);
Time between innings and pitching changes reduced from 2:05 to 1:45
Three batter minimum for pitchers entering a game; and
There will be no mound visits unless a pitcher is removed from the game or for medical issues.

Morgan Sword, MLB’s Senior Vice President, League Economics & Operations said, “This first group of experimental changes is designed to create more balls in play, defensive action, baserunning, and improve player safety.”

I can see the use of at least exploring a three batter minimum for pitchers. I’m curious about an automated strike zone, though I am skeptical as to its accuracy at present. Worth exploring at least. I am not sure who is calling for larger bases and what that would accomplish, but I suppose it could cut down on injuries that occur around the bases. Mound visits are usually pointless, time-killing exercises so I’m fine with those being gone.

As I’ve argued many times, limiting defensive shifts seems silly to me. Shifts take away seeing-eye singles but they do not deprive batters of clean singles, extra base hits or homers. Do they frustrate hitters? Yeah, but so does everything else this side of batting practice fastballs, and I think their whining about it is overstated. Hit the ball the other way and they’ll stop shifting on you.

I am very much opposed to a moved back pitchers mound, especially one moved back a full two feet. While one might argue that today’s high-velocity pitchers need a bit of a handicap, they will, without question, try to compensate for the decreased ball-over-the-plate effective velocity by attempting to overthrow. It may likewise lead to significant mechanics changes to get the breaking balls to break, cut and slide the way they like. Pitchers are going to hurt themselves adjusting to this, I suspect, and in my mind that’s not worth the couple of upticks in opposing batting average this is aimed at addressing. If you want to cut down on strikeouts and/or increase offense, alter the strike zone to take away the 97 m.p.h. fastball at the shins that no one can do a thing with anyway and call it a ball, forcing pitchers to work up, inside and outside more. I assure you, you’ll see more offense then.

All of which is to say, some of this sounds fine, some of this sounds rather pointless, and the mound thing sounds dangerous. But I suppose Rob Manfred is trying. With people saying “Rob Manfred is trying” being what he’s trying for mostly, it seems.

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BOSTON – The last time Adley Rutschman recalls feeling this level of emotion on a baseball field was playing in front of intimate, 5,000-seat crowds in college at Oregon State.

He trumped that experience at Fenway Park on Thursday in his first career opening day start.

“This blows that out of the water,” Rutschman said.

Rutschman became the first catcher in major league history with five hits in an opener, and the Baltimore Orioles survived a wild ninth inning to beat the Boston Red Sox 10-9.

“To have that close game in the ninth inning and the crowd get so loud. You kind of sit there and say, ‘This is pretty cool,’” said Rutschman, the top overall pick in the 2019 draft.

Rutschman – who debuted for the Orioles last May and quickly became indispensable to the young, resurgent club – homered in his first at-bat and finished 5-for-5 with a career-best four RBIs and a walk on a chilly day at Fenway Park, with a temperature of 38 degrees at first pitch.

Ramon Urias hit a two-run homer for Baltimore, which finished with 15 hits, nine walks and five stolen bases.

Kyle Gibson (1-0) allowed four runs and six hits over five-plus innings to earn his first opening-day victory since his 2021 All-Star season with Texas. Gibson gave up an RBI groundout in the first inning before retiring nine straight Red Sox hitters.

The Orioles nearly gave the game away in the ninth.

With Baltimore leading 10-7, closer Félix Bautista walked pinch-hitter Raimel Tapia. Alex Verdugo followed with a single and advanced to second on an error by center fielder Cedric Mullins.

Rafael Devers struck out. Justin Turner then reached on an infield single to third when Urias’ throw was wide, scoring Tapia. Masataka Yoshida grounded to shortstop Jorge Mateo, who stepped on second for the force but threw wildly to first, allowing Verdugo to score.

Bautista struck out Adam Duvall on three pitches to end it and earn the save.

The Orioles scored four runs in the fourth and three in the fifth to take an 8-2 lead. Baltimore led 10-4 before Bryan Baker allowed three runs in the eighth to give the Red Sox some hope.

The eighth could have been even better for the Red Sox had Devers, who led off the inning, not become the first player in major league history to strike out on a pitch clock violation. Devers was looking down and kicking debris off his cleats when umpire Lance Barksdale signaled a violation that resulted in strike three.

“There’s no excuse,” said Alex Cora, who dropped to 0-5 in opening-day games as Boston’s manager. “They know the rules.”

Boston offseason addition and two-time Cy Young Award winner Corey Kluber (0-1) struggled in his Fenway debut, surrendering five runs on six hits and four walks in 3 1/3 innings.

“Less than ideal,” Kluber said. “Didn’t turn out the way I would have hoped for.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Red Sox: Christian Arroyo stayed in the game after taking an inadvertent cleat to the side of his head in the second inning. Arroyo was applying a tag to Rutschman at second base as he attempted to stretch out a single. Rutschman’s leg flipped over as he slid awkwardly. … LHP James Paxton was placed on the 15-day inured list (retroactive to March 27) with a strained right hamstring.

GOOD COMPANY

Rutschman, one of six Baltimore players making his first opening-day appearance, became the youngest Oriole to homer in his first opening-day at-bat since Cal Ripken Jr. in 1984.

BIG BAGS

The Orioles took advantage of MLB’s bigger bases – going from 15- to 18-inch squares – that are being used for the first time this season. Baltimore hadn’t stolen five bases in a game since last June 24 against the White Sox. Mullins and Jorge Mateo swiped two bags apiece, and Adam Frazier got a huge jump on his steal against reliever Ryan Brasier. There was nothing Boston catcher Reese McGuire could do to stop them and on the majority of Baltimore’s steals, he didn’t bother to throw.

FINAL SPOTS

Right-hander Kaleb Ort and Tapia earned Boston’s final two roster spots to open the season. Tapia got the nod over Jarren Duran, who was sent down to Triple-A Worcester. Ort pitched a scoreless sixth with one strikeout Thursday.

UP NEXT

Orioles: RHP Dean Kremer will make is sixth career start against Boston when the three-game series resumes on Saturday. In 11 road starts last season, he went 5-3 with a 3.63 ERA.

Red Sox: LHP Chris Sale, who has pitched in only 11 games over the past three years due to injuries, is set to begin his seventh season in Boston.