10 takeaways from 2023 MLB regular season: New rules work, preseason projections were wrong and more

As is the case with each Major League Baseball regular season, the general week serves as an strange liminal house. You’ll all the time in finding half-and-half protection, break up between reviewing the 12 months that was once and previewing the October to return.  This piece, pricey reader, can safely be filed away into the “season review” folder.

We right here at CBS Sports made up our minds that we might give the regular season the send-off it merits through highlighting 10 impressions we will remove from the 12 months. These vary from observations about rules and statistical tendencies to ideas about gamers and groups. Basically, if it took place this season on the earth of arranged skilled baseball, we regarded as it truthful recreation to notice or another way come with on this house.

Obviously 10 is a reasonably proscribing collection of anything else, however in particular ideas a few six-month-long season that takes few days off. We ask for forgiveness upfront, then, if we neglected a tale or an statement that you just felt was once essential. That’s the wonderful thing about the regular season: everybody walks away with other reminiscences.

Now, let’s get to it.

1. The pitch clock works

Coming into the regular season, one of the crucial greatest questions going through the sport was once how other it could glance and really feel after the set up of the pitch clock. 

The resolution, no less than in our opinion, was once that the tempo of play advanced with out feeling rushed. It’s unattainable to quantify this kind of factor — but even so, everyone seems to be entitled to their very own superb pace — however we can optimistically state that MLB’s choice to enforce the pitch clock led to video games to be shorter total.

Through Sunday’s contests, the common recreation this season had lasted two hours and 39 mins, according to Baseball-Reference. That was once 24 mins faster than ultimate season’s moderate recreation, and more than a half of hour faster than the 2021 season’s moderate recreation. Additionally, this season had the “quickest” moderate recreation since sooner than the ultimate spherical of enlargement, again in 1998. 

Predictably, for the reason that baseball is referred to as a recreation of changes, the gamers proved ready to get into the groove of the pitch clock because the season stepped forward. Whereas April contained 289 pitch-clock violations, August (the ultimate complete month performed as of this writing) held simply 118. Our expectation is that quantity will proceed to drop because the rhythm of the pitch clock turns into ingrained.

2. The stolen base is again

Speaking of rule adjustments attaining the required impact, the stolen base once more turned into distinguished after two notable tweaks. First, MLB capped the collection of occasions pitchers may just disengage with out penalty. Second, MLB put in wider bases that shortened, if most effective rather, the space between luggage.

That mixture impressed groups to aim a ways more stolen bases than they’d lately, and empowered them to prevail more steadily, too. Here’s a have a look at the pertinent statistics, once more via this previous weekend’s video games: 

The stolen base is without doubt one of the most fun portions of baseball, in our opinion, so this was once a welcomed, if synthetic shift in gameplay. 

3. Injuries robbed Ohtani of one thing ancient

Before Shohei Ohtani suffered the double-whammy harm mixture (torn UCL and strained indirect) that upfront ended his 12 months, he was once smartly on his strategy to recording one of the crucial biggest single-season performances within the recreation’s historical past.

Indeed, Ohtani had accrued 10.1 Wins Above Replacement in 135 video games, striking him on tempo to threaten the 12-WAR mark. 

How tricky is it to acquire that many WAR in one season? Barry Bonds fell simply wanting the brink all over his 73-homer onslaught in 2001. (And we do imply simply quick since Bonds ended up at 11.9 WAR.) Only 3 gamers since integration have toppled 12 WAR in one 12 months: Carl Yastrzemski (1967), Steve Carlton (1972), and Dwight Gooden (1985). 

Even if Ohtani could not transparent 12-WAR, he would’ve recorded the primary 11-WAR season in more than 20 years. Unfortunately, we will by no means know evidently.

4. Maybe Aaron Judge, too

You would possibly take into account that Aaron Judge set each the American League and New York Yankees single-season home-run information ultimate 12 months with 62. Had Judge now not ignored just about two months as a result of accidents, he would possibly’ve slugged his means into any other interior circle of all-time home-run-hitting accomplishments. 

There’ve been 9 60-homer seasons in MLB historical past. Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa don’t seem to be most effective chargeable for 5 of the ones, however they are the one gamers in historical past to ever post consecutive 60-homer efforts. A hearty and hale Judge could have — emphasis on could have — joined them.

Entering Monday, Judge had introduced 35 domestic runs over the process 101 video games. That prorates to 52 domestic runs over 150 video games, or 55 domestic runs in 160 video games. So, now not somewhat a 60-homer tempo, however shut sufficient {that a} red-hot stretch or two would’ve left Judge knocking at the door of any other 60-homer season. 

Alas, as with Ohtani, we will by no means know evidently what would’ve took place.

5. There’s no loser within the NL MVP race

One philosophical query that pops up occasionally with MVP balloting is the way you cross about rewarding an ancient statistical fulfillment. It got here up ultimate 12 months, when electorate decided on Judge because the winner over Ohtani, and it’ll arise once more this 12 months because it relates to the National League MVP vote.

Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. has already notched the 5th 40/40 season in historical past. He may just quickly seize the primary ever 40/70 season. Is that sufficient to earn him the award? It could be, however there is no ensure. For one, most effective one of the crucial earlier 4 40/40 seasons culminated in a top-three end in MVP balloting, let on my own a win. (Jose Canseco gained in 1988.)

For any other, Acuña is going through stiff pageant from Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Mookie Betts, a house run away from his personal 40-homer effort, in addition to a couple of first baseman he is performed with, in Freddie Freeman and Matt Olson, whose 50-plus-homer season has been overshadowed partly through Acuña’s trailblazing efforts. 

In different phrases, we do not know who will win the NL MVP Award, however we all know they’re going to have earned it.

6. It’s been a maximum unpredictable 12 months

If you are studying this, you are most likely conversant in projection methods. If now not, there are a slew of public-facing forecast fashions that try to challenge what is going to occur, each on particular person and group ranges, the use of a mixture of ancient knowledge and regression rules. In our enjoy, PECOTA and ZiPs are two of the most productive to be had. They generally tend to get issues most commonly proper. For no matter reason why — and we’ve not heard a concept that passes the odor take a look at or will make us rethink leaning on them at some point — that wasn’t the case this 12 months.

You can take a look at ZiPS’ preseason projections through clicking here or here. For those that would moderately abstain, simply know that ZiPS had the New York Mets, St. Louis Cardinals, New York Yankees, San Diego Padres, and Cleveland Guardians both successful or tying for first of their divisions. ZiPS additionally had the Houston Astros successful the AL West, that means that there is a actual probability it is going 0-for this season in relation to pegging the department races. 

Again, we do not view this as an indictment on ZiPS (or PECOTA, or some other forecast style). We suppose it is more of a testomony to the wildness and unpredictability of this actual season. It’s now not steadily {that a} handful of perceived powerhouses fall quick like they did this 12 months. 

As such, we will gladly take the coward’s means out subsequent spring and visit the most productive forecast fashions as we fill out our preseason predictions — although they finally end up making us glance foolish in six months’ time.

7. Holliday is the following massive factor

Back in June, we ranked Orioles shortstop Jackson Holliday as the most productive prospect within the minors. We famous on the time {that a} veteran skill evaluator idea Holliday was once up to now forward of the remainder of the possibility pack that they might’ve gladly traded their group’s two best possible younger gamers for him.

Holliday may not rejoice his twentieth birthday till early December, however he is persisted to make an affect on scouts across the league. To wit, he completed his first complete skilled degree through achieving Triple-A, and through hitting a mixed .323/.442/.499 with 12 domestic runs, 24 stolen bases, and just about as many walks (101) as strikeouts (118). That’s unbelievable paintings for someone, let on my own anyone who was once nonetheless in highschool 16 months in the past.

The Orioles have graduated an embarrassing quantity of blue-chip potentialities in contemporary seasons. Holliday goes to be the following, and he would possibly even finally end up being the most productive of the bunch in keeping with how his skilled occupation has performed out thus far.

8. The peak of this draft was once particular

Speaking of proficient younger gamers, you should not lose sight of the likelihood that 3 of the highest 4 selections on this ultimate summer time’s draft have situated themselves to debut one day early subsequent season. (Nolan Schanuel, the eleventh pick out, made his big-league debut as a part of the Angels’ failed playoff push.)

Allow us to recap in a bullet record structure:

• Pirates’ No. 1 pick out Paul Skenes made a couple of appearances in Double-A sooner than being close down over workload functions. Some scouts informed CBS Sports previous to the draft that Skenes can have pitched within the majors this season if wanted. 
• Nationals’ No. 2 pick out Dylan Crews performed in 20 video games at Double-A, albeit with out the good effects he had posted at earlier stops. 
• Rangers’ No. 4 pick out Wyatt Langford made it all of the strategy to Triple-A, hitting a mixed .360/.480/.677 within the procedure.

Generally, it takes years and years for draft selections to pay big-league dividends. This draft very a lot seems like an outlier up to now. 

9. Oakland merits higher

A regular season is comparable to a existence, and a existence is not all the time beautiful.

One of probably the most unlucky facets of this season was once the expanding chance that the Athletics go away Oakland at the back of within the coming years. At minimal, the A’s made sufficient development on their desired relocation to Las Vegas to transparent the pathway to an offseason vote through the opposite franchise homeowners.

Whatever finally ends up going down to the A’s, it will have to be recognized that Oakland’s enthusiasts deserved higher than what they won right here. Their emotional attachment and reminiscences were soured through an possession that could not care much less. Jim Bouton as soon as wrote that “the fiercest competition in sports these days is not between teams or leagues, but between governments and their own citizens.” 

In the case of the A’s, the toughest they attempted all season was once towards their very own enthusiasts. That’s a disgrace, and a blemish on each the season and the business as an entire.

10. The remainder of the way in which might be amusing

Hey, simply for the reason that regular season is nearly over does not imply we are completed for the 12 months with thrilling baseball happenings. There are playoff races left to play out and postseason collection to experience. Strap in for the reason that subsequent month-plus will have to be a blast.