The pitch clock is coming to spring training, and MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said that the Cactus League and Grapefruit League rollout is for players and umpires to get acclimated for possible implementation this season.
The concept, which debuted in the minor leagues in 2015, is to speed up games, which average more than three hours. The commissioner comes armed with data that says the 20-second pitch clock has shaved minutes off games in the minors.
Opening Day for the Texas Rangers is March 28, and players who were asked Tuesday morning were mostly against the pitch clock coming or indifferent to its effects after experiencing it in the minors.