Major League Baseball has recently shown a huge willingness to change its on-field product. The very first and perhaps the biggest sign came when they implemented the pitch clock in 2023. That one revolutionary step led to quicker games across the board. Add to that they eliminated the shift and also enlarged the bases. All in all, the games are now shorter and more action-packed. But MLB, it seems, isn’t satisfied yet. As a result, they might be thinking of making some pitching rule changes.

According to reports, MLB is holding discussions on possibly making it mandatory for starting pitchers to throw 6-innings per game. While during the 70s or 80s, this was a common occurrence, since the start of 2010s, starting pitchers’ innings have consistently gone down. Partly because of better analytics and mostly to protect elbows, teams have tried to limit their starter’s pitching time. So why does the league want to implement this? Especially during a time when pitching injuries have become an epidemic.

MLB’s idea for implementing this pitching rule 

“We are interested in increasing the amount of action in the game, restoring the prominence of the starting pitcher, and reducing the prevalence of pitching injuries,” an MLB official informed ESPN. This minimum 6-inning rule is part of that idea. In short, the league wants to recreate the aura and prestige that the starting pitching post used to have during the early days. The high innings reassured the fans that they’d get ample vision of their favorite starting pitcher.

However, since the turn of the 2010s, MLB pitchers average a little less than 6 innings per game. Mostly because the analytics show that a pitcher’s effectiveness reduces when facing hitters for the third time. Yet, as Chicago Cubs coach Tommy Hottovy said, this rule change will open a new avenue for pitchers. “You would start to think about a repertoire that would get you through the lineup three times,” Hottovy said. This might have a twin effect on the on-field product.

First, many executives and officials believe that this can end the obsession with velocity. Instead, the pitchers would be forced to think of different tricks and techniques to improve their efficiency. That could potentially reduce the stress on elbows and UCL injuries. Add to that, it’ll make the game more evenly distributed as inevitably contact will increase with this rule. But will the pitchers actually follow through with this hypothesis? Also, could this have a negative impact by increasing injuries because the pitchers will be throwing more?

The league might try to safeguard pitchers with a few rules 

While a pitcher will be mandated to throw 6 innings, some outs can be used to pull the pitcher in early. They include –

1. Pitcher throwing 100 pitches
2. Pitcher giving up 4 or more earned runs 
3. Injury (he’ll have to spend time on the injured list if that happens)

Through these rules, MLB wants to reduce pitching injuries. Though the pitchers will pitch more, they won’t be doing it at the expense of their health. At least, that is what could happen in an ideal world but then this isn’t one. The pitchers already know that fastballs are their best bets for strikeouts. 100mph – 102mph velocity makes life difficult for the hitters. Will they just give up on this magical pitch without any resistance? That is a difficult question.

Many executives don’t believe that the pitchers can. “The genie is out of the bottle when it comes to max velocity. I’m not sure it can go back in, no matter the rules,” an anonymous assistant GM said. Perhaps that’s why there is heavy discussion required before this idea can become an actual rule. And even if it does, it’ll be years before it is fully implemented in MLB. Until then, Major League Baseball has a lot to think about in its bid to improve the sport. What do you think of this big change that the MLB pitchers are looking at ahead? Let us know in the comments.