The 2023 Baseball Season - Things to Come

Home to 1st and 3rd to home are not changed.

Unless every single thing I've read is wrong, then I'm wrong.

 

I think Pena stays right where he was in the playoffs, in the 2 spot.

 

That's what I expect as well but I haven't heard any confirmation.

 

A simple diagram of the old vs the new bases with positioning would be useful. It appears the only real difference of opinion is where 2B is now. Are the edges still parallel to 1B and 3B or is it closer to HP. If the corner facing the pitcher's mound is in the same location, then the three additional inches would be toward the OF, specifically LF and RF.

 

Think about how many throws to 2nd have to be instant-replayed because they are so close. Almost all of those become "safe" now. I actually think the limiting-throws-to-1st will have as much of an impact. You can get a bigger lead since the base is bigger and closer to you (and easier to avoid a tag on a pick-off). And then once you get the pitcher to throw back to 1st twice, you have free reign to try to get a free base with a 3rd pick off. All around the two rules encourage way more aggressiveness on the basepaths - not by slow players, but by the already-aggressive ones. Guys that steal 20-30 now might steal 30-40. It also puts more pressure on catchers to have good arms, etc.

 

The debates the board had before on Myles Straw’s WAR will be more fun now. Every walk he takes will become an automatic double.

It also might help Leon make the club faster - his walk rate is higher than Jake or Chas, and he already is much better at stealing (38 successful and 18 CS … the latter will go to near zero). If he can cut down the SO even a little, he can walk his way to the majors.

 

Yes… I suppose the current base stealers will simply get more aggressive.

It’s just not a point of emphasis in the sport at the moment… not simply because of the poor gamble trying to steal a base is, but also because of the injury risk (which won’t be different). I suppose this will lead to an evolution of sorts of teams now adding new value to certain players, but those guys still need to get on base.

I was more concerned if guys with marginal speed now being expected or encouraged to try and steal bases.

 

So you're saying the first and third base bags are going to stick out over the foul line into foul territory by 1.5 inches? You do understand that's what you just said? Well at a minimum that's what you said about the first base bag.

Now you got me thinking about home to first, did they intend to shorten that distance by 1.5 inches, that would be potentially a bigger deal than the stealing of bases? If not then the entire 3 inches from home through the right field wall is that much closer to the right field wall and no closer to home plate. Same thing 3rd to home like you said (all 3 inches closer to the left field wall). So then if 2nd base has the exact same center point, the base will be offset 1.5 inches inward from 1st to 2nd and 3rd to 2nd. That's weird if that's the case.

Just saw a video on MLB that showed from home plate to the BACK of first base REMAINS at 90 feet. So that would mean home to first is actually 3 inches closer. That's a huge deal.

 

Holy **** yall are killing me. Tell me you failed Jr High geometry and reading comprehension without telling me you failed Jr High geometry and reading comprehension.

https://www.mlb.com/news/mlb-2023-rule-changes-pitch-timer-larger-bases-shifts

The bases, which traditionally have been 15 inches square, will instead be 18 inches square. Home plate is unchanged.

Though this can have a modest impact on stolen-base success rate, the primary goal of this change is to give players more room to operate and to avoid collisions. This is especially important at first base, where fielders have an extra 3-inch advantage to stay out of harm’s way from the baserunner while receiving throws.

This change will create a 4 1/2-inch reduction in the distance between first and second base and between second base and third, which encourages more stolen-base attempts. The bigger bases could also have the effect of reducing oversliding in which a player loses contact with the bag while sliding through it.

 

Oh he has to. He's protected big time by Yordan's bat and he'll get a ton of pitches to hit because of it.

 

You're a moron.

You highlighted "home plate is unchanged" at if that was a telling revelation. No that just means the size of home plate didn't change you idiot.

In the MLB video with Raul Ibanez he says "the distance from home plate to the BACK of the first base bag remains unchanged at 90 feet.

If he is indeed correct then that means the front of the first base bag is 3 inches closer to reach for a runner trying to leg out an infield hit. Unless he misspoke but he was clear as to what he said, there was no ambiguity in how he said it.

 

6 years for a 36 year old pitcher?

Fascinating.

 

But only at $18MM/yr. You could think of it as a 3 yr at $36MM/yr deal with 3 option years at $0/yr. He's the ace of their staff on a win-now team coming off arguably the 2nd best season of his career.

 

And he was signed for $21M this year so they saved $3M off of 2023 books.

 

That last line reminds me of when Brownie asked Rafael Ramirez “why do you not work for more walks”

Ramirez “you can’t walk your way off the island”

 

I do love our level of civility on this forum.

 

Two Stankees now.
Wonder how objective they will be after the Yankees receive their annual Astro's playoff beatdown.