Spring training exhibition games began Friday and we didn’t have to wait long to see the first pitch clock violation. San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado was hit with an automatic strike in the first inning because he was not in the box and alert to the pitcher, Seattle Mariners lefty Robbie Ray, with at least eight seconds remaining on the timer. It was the first pitch of Machado’s first spring at-bat (GameTracker).
Here is the first ever pitch clock violation in a game involving major league players:
Home plate umpire Ryan Blakney’s call was not clear — the Bally Sports broadcasters thought the call was on the catcher for not being ready at the eight-second mark — and the automatic strike was not put on the television scorebug. That’s a kink that must be worked out before the regular season. The umpire’s call must make it clear who committed the violation.
With the new pitch timer, pitchers have 15 seconds to begin their delivery with the bases empty and 20 seconds with runners on base. The batter must be in the box and alert to the pitcher at the eight-second mark, so it as much as a hitter clock as it is a pitch clock. In Machado’s case, he appeared to be in the box in time but was not deemed to be focused on the pitcher.
If the pitcher violates the pitcher timer, it’s an automatic ball. If the batter violates the pitch timer, as Machado did, it’s an automatic strike. “I’m going to have to make a big adjustment,” Machado said afterward during the game broadcast. “I might be down 0-1 a lot this year … there’s definitely an adjustment period, but I went down in history books.”
Morgan Sword, MLB’s executive vice president of baseball operations, recently called the pitch clock “probably the biggest change that’s been made in baseball in most of our lifetimes.”
A pitch timer has been used at several minor league levels for a few years now. Last season, Triple-A used a 15-second timer with the bases empty and a 19-second timer with men on base, and the average time of game was two hours and 43 minutes. In 2021, it was three hours and four minutes. That’s a pretty significant reduction.
“Our guiding star in thinking about changes to the game has always been our fans. What do our fans want to see on the field? We’ve conducted thorough and ongoing research with our fans, and certain things are really clear. No. 1, fans want games with better pace,” commissioner Rob Manfred told MLB.com earlier this month. “… The rule changes we’re announcing today have been thoroughly tested and refined for years in the minor leagues.”
At the Triple-A level last year, there were roughly three pitch clock violations per game the first week of the season. That was whittled down to one violation every other game a month later. The first few spring games will bring a bevy of violations, it’s inevitable, but give the players time and they will adjust to the new rules. They always do.
Hall of Fame president Josh Rawitch is in attendance for Friday’s game and will bring the official scorecard back to Cooperstown, according to USA Today. In addition to the pitch clock, MLB is also implementing a ban on extreme infield shifts as well as using larger bases this season. Here’s everything you need to know about the new rules.