You want fast? The 2023 baseball season started fast. The very first batter of Opening Day, Atlanta Braves star Ronald Acuña Jr., laced a single to right field and quickly drew two pickoff throws from Washington Nationals starter Patrick Corbin.
Voilà, a novel type of tension. MLB’s new rules include a pitch timer and, as part of the effort to boost pace of play, limits on pitcher pickoffs. If Corbin wanted to throw over again, it would be a very different calculation: Get Acuña out, or he is awarded second base.