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Baseball offenses in the low levels of the minor leagues will reportedly start extra innings with a runner in scoring position before anyone even steps in the batter's box.
Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports reported Wednesday that Major League Baseball will test a rule change in the Gulf Coast League and Arizona League in 2017 that will place a runner on second base to start extra innings. Passan noted something akin to this rule has been a feature in international baseball and will be used in the 2017 World Baseball Classic.
Testing the rule in those leagues "is part of an effort to understand its wide in-game consequences—and whether its implementation at higher levels, and even the major leagues, may be warranted," Passan wrote.