Major League Baseball is going full steam ahead with an idea to allow runners to “steal” first base on a wild pitch or passed ball. The rule will go into effect for the second half of the Atlantic League, a testing ground for all sorts of changes and oddities that might eventually find their way to the majors. There’s no indication that the rule is coming to MLB yet, but the mere fact that it found its way to the Atlantic League is a sign that Rob Manfred is thinking about it.
The rule is pretty straightforward. Similar to the catcher dropping a third strike, a runner may advanced to first base on a wild pitch or passed ball — anything not caught by the catcher — regardless of the count.