Major League Baseball’s Competition Committee, an 11 person group in charge of the league’s ruleset, voted to enact some pretty major changes to the game on Friday. Most of these were expected, but that doesn’t diminish the impact the decisions will have on the way the game is played next season. In the process, some division over the new rules between MLBPA representatives and representatives of the Commissioner’s office was apparent in the voting.
A pitch clock will go into effect after two years of experimenting with the concept in the minor leagues. Defensive positioning will be much more limited, as the shift era will come to an end.