Of all of MLB’s rule changes for the 2023 season, the one that has had the most noticeable impact on the game so far is the pitch clock. The average game is down to a hair over two and a half hours in 2023, compared to just over three hours on average in 2022.
For such a drastic change to the game, generally the response to the pitch clock has been positive, with pitch clock advocates enjoying both the snappier action of games with little downtime and earlier bedtimes. However, some fans are unhappy that “a day at the park” has become “an abbreviated afternoon at the park,” especially those who have to travel a considerable distance to be there.