The pitch clock, mixed reviews and all, appears to be working.
Six of Major League Baseball’s first 11 games Thursday were completed before three hours had passed, and just one — Toronto’s 10-9 win over St. Louis — lasted longer than 3:10.
According to The Athletic
The pitch clock stood at the center of MLB’s rule changes ahead of the season, serving as a central adjustment for pitchers and managers to consider throughout spring training.
Some enjoyed it, or at least tolerated the pivot.
Others despised it.
It forced routines and rhythms to change, and some, including the Mets’ Max Scherzer, tested its limits during those spring games.
With the bases empty, pitchers now have 15 seconds in between pitches, and that number increases to 20 when a batter reaches.
The other side of the rule requires batters to be stationed in their box with eight seconds left on the timer — with a strike added to their count serving as the punishment.
There are also 30 seconds in between hitters.
There were a few violations throughout the league on Opening Day, including one in the Mets game involving Pete Alonso and Jeff McNeil.
Following a foul ball in the sixth inning, Alonso took too long walking back to first base, and a strike was added to McNeil’s count.
That made it an 0-2 count after just one pitch, but McNeil still delivered an RBI single.
Former Met Marcus Stroman earned the honor of committing the first pitch-clock violation during the regular season earlier in the afternoon, as the Cubs pitcher spent too much time monitoring a runner on second base and didn’t start his motion in time.
Instead, the home-plate umpire rose from his stance, pointed toward Stroman and signaled the violation — causing a ball to be added to the count, and making it 2-2 instead of 1-2 for Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich.
Baltimore’s 10-9 victory over Boston, which had the second-longest length among the early slate of games, featured the first batter to be called out due to a violation.
Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers had both feet in the batter’s box, but he wasn’t set and looking toward the pitcher.
Instead of preparing for a 1-2 pitch, the added strike ended the star’s at-bat.
