How new rules in 2023 will affect the Royals

Baseball has approved new rules in 2023 designed to improve the pace of play and lift sagging batting averages around the game. The new rules include:

A ban on defensive shifts

A 15-second pitch clock with no runners on base, and a 20-second pitch clock with runners on;

A limit of two pickoff attempts per hitter, with the third attempt constituting a balk if the runner is not picked off

Larger bases, from 15 square inches to 18 square inches, to lessen the chances a runner steps on a defender’s foot.

How could these new rules affect the Royals?

Ban on defensive shifts

Shifts have always been a part of the game, even back when infielders crowded the right side of the infield for Ted Williams. But…