February 12, 2020

New Rules

MLB announced rules changes for 2020. The two most important are the three-batter minimum and the roster size increase.

The three-batter minimum:

The Official Baseball Rules have been amended to require the starting or any relief pitcher to pitch to a minimum of three batters, including the batter then at bat (or any substitute batter), until such batters are put out or reach base, or until the offensive team is put out, unless the substitute pitcher sustains injury or illness which, in the umpire crew chief’s judgment, incapacitates him from further play as a pitcher. The three-batter minimum will become effective in 2020 Spring Training beginning on Thursday, March 12.

MLB.com

So LOOGYs can still pitch to one batter as long as they get out the last batter of the inning.

Rosters expand to 26 players through August 31, and again in the post-season. There is a 13 pitcher maximum attached to that change, so teams can’t keep expanding bullpens. In September:

From Sept. 1 through the end of the Championship Season (including any tiebreaker games), all clubs must carry 28 players on the Active Roster. In addition, Clubs will be permitted to carry a maximum of 14 pitchers during this period.

For double headers, teams can carry 27 players, and it’s okay to have a 14th pitcher for that game.

This rule may make two-way players very popular:

Players who qualify as “Two-Way Players” may appear as pitchers during a game without counting toward a club’s pitcher limitations. A player will qualify as a “Two-Way Player” only if he accrues both: (i) at least 20 Major League innings pitched; and (ii) at least 20 Major League games started (as a position player or designated hitter) with at least three plate appearances in each of those games, in either the current Championship Season or the prior Championship Season (for 2020 only, this will include 2019 as well as 2018). The Club must designate that player as a “Two-Way Player” in advance of that game. Once a Club designates a qualified “Two-Way Player” that designation will remain in effect, and cannot change, for the remainder of that Championship Season and Postseason.

It looks like this rule was written to allow Shohei Ohtani to be a two-way player now.

Note that roster rules only apply maximums to pitchers. I wonder if a team will find a way to win with a large number of position players? A team could carry a seventeen position players and platoon at every position, with a third catcher.

1 thought on “New Rules

  1. Devon

    This commish needs to go. These changes are unnecessary & unwanted, on top of the fact teams are going to be allowed to start using their uniforms as ad space. This seriously might be the first season since 1981 that I don’t watch any baseball. I’ll pay attention to the boxscores but I really don’t think I can stomach seeing the corporate logos on uni’s.

    ReplyReply

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