Baseball has approved new rules in 2023 designed to improve the pace of play and lift sagging batting averages around the game. The new rules include:
- A ban on defensive shifts
- A 15-second pitch clock with no runners on base, and a 20-second pitch clock with runners on;
- A limit of two pickoff attempts per hitter, with the third attempt constituting a balk if the runner is not picked off
- Larger bases, from 15 square inches to 18 square inches, to lessen the chances a runner steps on a defender’s foot.