NEW YORK -- If you think the World Series sped by, it did.
Nine-inning games averaged 3 hours, 1 minute, the fastest since 1996, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. The first postseason of the pitch clock also included defensive shift limits and larger bases, leading to increased stolen bases and appearing to contribute to higher batting averages.
"From what I've heard of people that pay attention to our games, it's really more interactive and the pitch clock is good for baseball," said first baseman Nathaniel Lowe of World Series champion Texas.
Postseason nine-inning games overall averaged 3:02, down from 3:23 last year and 3:37 in 2021, the last season before the PitchCom electronic pitch-calling device.