I have tried countless times to get my friends to go to a baseball game with me, whether it be a UNC or Durham Bulls game. Each time they give me the same response: ‘It’s so boring’ or ‘It’s just so long’.
Both are fair complaints as the average Major League Baseball (MLB) game took just over three hours in 2022. As someone who cannot sit and watch a soccer game for 90 minutes, it would be hypocritical to say I don’t understand how baseball can be boring.
However, this year the MLB has made a few key changes that have garnered generally positive reviews.
The shifts, aimed at making baseball faster and more action packed, include a pitch timer, defensive shift restrictions and bigger bases.
Now, if a pitcher takes too long to get into his windup, it is an automatic ball. The same rule applies for batters. If a batter takes too long to get set, it is an automatic strike.
These rules are undeniably good for baseball. According to Axios, youth baseball participation peaked in the 1990s and ever since has been decreasing at a rate of about 3 percent per year. Furthermore, MLB TV ratings have also been steadily decreasing for the past half century. In an age dominated by short, exciting forms of media, a three-hour baseball game isn’t the most marketable.
The new changes should only be the start for the MLB as the league looks to compete in an increasingly competitive media landscape. Even with the current changes, the MLB is likely to have some of the lowest engagement among the youth. The league needs to continue to explore changes that bring out the excitement of baseball without compromising what makes it special. If they are able to do so, it will ensure the health of the game we all love for generations to come.
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