By the time you read this post, the Houston Astros should have their full squad assembled at their West Palm Beach spring training complex, ready to go in an attempt to become the first team since the 1999 and 2000 New York Yankees to repeat as World Series champions.
Most of the offseason “to do” list is done, with the most pressing issues between now and the start of the season being possible contract extensions for rising All Stars like ace starter Framber Valdez and right fielder Kyle Tucker. The team was able to get a deal done with Cristian Javier, but Valdez and Tucker remain unsigned beyond the next few years of salary arbitration eligibility.
One of the big storylines around MLB this spring, as well as one fo the reasons that extensions for both Valdez and Tucker might be in a holding pattern, is the slew of rules changes approved by MLB to begin this season. If you need a brief summary of these changes, here you go:
1. Pitch timer: The length of games will still be determined by innings, not minutes. But to create a crisper pace, there will be a 30-second timer between batters and then a shorter time limit between pitches. Pitchers will be required to begin their motion 15 seconds after receiving the ball with the bases empty or 20 seconds after receiving the ball with runners on base. If they don’t, they will be charged with an automatic ball.
Pitchers will also be limited to two disengagements from the mound (i.e. pickoff attempts or step-offs) per plate appearance with a runner on first. The disengagements reset the clock.
Batters, meanwhile, must be in the batter’s box and alert to the pitcher by the 8-second mark on the clock, or else be charged with an automatic strike.
2. Shift restrictions: The defensive team must have a minimum of four players on the infield, with at least two infielders completely on either side of second base. These restrictions are intended to increase the batting average on balls in play, and allow infielders to better showcase their athleticism with great defensive plays.
3. Bigger bases: First, second and third have been expanded from 15 inches on each side to 18 inches on each side, while home plate remains unchanged. The primary reason why the bases are bigger is safety, giving fielders and runners more room to operate without colliding. But the slightly decreased distance between bases could help runners on stolen-base attempts and bang-bang plays.
Generally, I think these are all changes for the positive, for the sake of the game overall, but honestly, the main thing I really care about is how these rules affect the 2023 Houston Astros. There are positives and negatives in terms of effect on our hometown team, and that’s probably a sign that the rules are well thought out.
As for individual Astros, by my estimation, here are the five Astros who will experience the most effects, positive and/or negative, from the alterations to the MLB rulebook:
5. Ryan Pressly
Pressly has been a huge part of the Astros’ success since getting moved to closer back in 2020. He was the one on the mound last November when the Astros closed out the Phillies in the World Series. Pressly has at least two more years left with the Astros at $14 million apiece, so the team needs a great version of Pressly to repeat. That said, he has been one of the slowest workers in all of baseball, averaging 23.7 between pitches. A closer already comes into a game in high stress situations, so having to adapt to working much faster is not optimal.
4. Framber Valdez
The pitch clock rule may affect Valdez in a way that’s slightly different than Pressly. Valdez has become accustomed to taking timeouts to collect himself off the mound, and now the chances to do that will be significantly limited. A big part of Valdez’s ascent has been his mastering of the mental and emotional parts of his game. This will be interesting. More significant to Valdez, though, may be the shift rules, as Valdez coaxed 41 more ground balls than the next closest pitcher, so now hitters will, theoretically, be hitting through a much more spread out infield formation.
3. Kyle Tucker
As a hitter, Tucker has a routine between pitches that is time consuming and repetitive. Messing with hitters’ routines does not seem to be a plus for them, so having to be in the batters’ box, alert to the pitcher with no less than eight seconds remaining on the pitch clock might speed up Tucker’s routine. Conversely, the bigger bases, along with the limit on pitcher pickoff attempts, should help someone with Tucker’s speed (25 stolen bases) on the base paths. Tucker has a real chance at 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases this season.
2. Jose Altuve
Literally, the same analysis as I just gave you for Tucker. Just replace Tucker’s name with Altuve’s, and replace “25 stolen bases” with “18 stolen bases.”
1. Luis Garcia
This is the one that will get the most attention (and has thus far) in spring training, because Garcia is the only player on this list that will literally need to alter the motions with which he plays the game of baseball. Neither of the other pitchers need to do that, and the hitters still will have the same swing, they just need to speed things up. Garcia, on the other hand, will have to completely revamp his delivery with the bases empty, where for his entire career, he has used a multi-step “rock the baby” arm and leg combination before uncorking his pitches, In spring training, he will need to work on a more condensed delivery, as the pitch clock will now have the MLB enforcing the balk rules much, much more closely. Garcia might be the most impacted pitcher in MLB by this aspect of the rules changes.
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This article appears in Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2023.
