Major League Baseball kicked off the 2023 season on Thursday with the usual ancient rites. But beneath the pageantry, MLB faces change, some of it fundamental.
Games will move faster, as MLB tries to attract younger fans. Pitchers and batters are now subject to a timer—15 or 20 seconds, depending on whether runners are on base—or face penalties. Bases are bigger, to promote stealing. Infielders are limited in where they can stand, to prevent infield shifts that plagued batters who tend to hit the ball to one side of the field more often.
