LOS ANGELES (AP) — Major League Baseball is considering a pitch clock for next year along with shift limits, larger bases, and restrictions on pickoff attempts.
A clock experiment in the minor leagues cut the average this year to 2 hours and 37 minutes from 3 hours and 4 minutes at a similar point for non-clock games last year.
The average time of nine-inning MLB games increased from 2 hours, 43 minutes in 2003 to 3 hours, 13 minutes in 2020 before dropping to 3 hours and 2 minutes so far this season.
An 11-person competition committee with six management representatives, four players and one umpire will make the decisions.
Limited use of robot plate umpires is possible as early as 2024.
In the minor leagues, a clock is being used this season.
In Triple-A, it takes 14 seconds with the bases empty and 19 seconds with runners on.
