Major League Baseball reduces movement on the field

PHOENIX (AP) — Craig Counsell needed to add power to his lineup a few years ago. The Milwaukee Brewers manager then decided to use bigger players to build his four-man infield.

So, he sacrificed defensive range in exchange for power on the wood.

“They combined for a weight of over 1,000 pounds (453 kilograms),” Counsell recounted with a laugh. “I don’t think they’ll ever see that again.”

Starting next season, it will be harder to hide a few big hitters in the infield. One of baseball’s most visible rule changes for 2023 will limit field trips, which had exponentially increased and vastly reduced batting averages at the majors.

There are two hopes: One points to more hits coming from southpaws like Kyle Schwarber or Corey Seager, some of the hitters hit by defensive adjustments. Another suggests greater athleticism will be displayed by those playing defense in the infield.

“I’m sure some guys will like it and some guys won’t,” said Dustin Pedroia, a former Boston Red Sox second baseman and four-time Golden Glove winner. You have to know how to catch the ball and be quick. Some guys will have to adapt and others will do better.”

Batters in the majors averaged .243 the previous season. It was the lowest since 1968.

The new rule states that all four infielders must have both feet at least on the outside edge of the infield. Two of these players must be on either side of second base when a throw is made.

Additionally, Major League Baseball required that the dirt area in the infield be of uniform dimensions across all 30 parks. The edge of the outfield must be 95 feet from the front of the rubber on the mound.

A few hitters, notably New York Mets star Jeff McNeill, have adapted to exploit gaps left by field changes, with drives that sent the ball into open spots.

Most stuck to their hard-hitting strategies, in part because pitchers wanted to make it harder for the ball to hit the opposite pitch – something that makes even the majors’ best hitters struggle against 98 mph fastballs, towards top and inside.

Josh Rojas, a left-handed hitter from Arizona, said he wasn’t too worried about the changes. He sees them as the final chapter in the eternal battle between pitcher and batter, which has been going on for more than a century.

“The holes will be in different places,” Rojas said. “My goal as a hitter is to find them and use them to my advantage. There will always be gaps, it is not possible to cover all the ground”.

During the offseason, teams asked the commissioner’s office many questions about ways to get around the new restrictions.

Morgan Sword, executive vice president of MLB, said clubs are asking three main questions:

—Can an infielder move during the throw and run across the field, so that there are three players on one side of second base once the ball is put in play? The answer is no.

“Can an infielder move during the field and run on the grass of the outfield so that he is there when the ball is put in play?” No.

—Can teams move outfielders, such as placing the left ranger on the right side, leaving their field uncovered? Yeah.

The referees will have the discretion to apply the rules.

“They will know if a team is trying to break the spirit of a rule,” Sword said.

Major League Baseball hopes the limits of those adjustments translate to one or two extra hits per night. The impact would not just be on striking, but on speed and agility, which would be more important for infielders to cover more ground defensively.

“These are the requirements. You have to catch the ball and also hit,” Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said.

The limitation of movements has been tested among minors. Lovullo said after speaking with Shawn Roof, the organizing director at Double-A, he hopes the hitting will improve.

“He said it made a difference,” Lovulo said. “There are more balls that will hit.”