Major League Baseball Player Association executive director Tony Clark. Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

MLBPA not happy with flurry of additional rule changes

By Victor Barbosa | Last updated Dec 21, 2023 4:04 PM ET

Major League Baseball is undergoing more rule changes, and the players aren't happy about it.

On the heels of Thursday's reports that there'd be more alterations to "America's Pastime" in 2024, Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) Executive Director Tony Clark released a statement, expressing the group's displeasure with the news.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Statement from Executive Director Tony Clark regarding Player Votes Against 2024 Rule Changes pic.twitter.com/KQBFIDIPuf
— MLBPA Communications (@MLBPA_News) December 21, 2023

In an effort to further speed up the game, changes include two seconds being shaved off the pitch clock when runners are on base and fewer mound visits being permitted.

News: MLB competition committee approves changes for the 2024 season including:
-18 sec clock with runners on
-4 mound visits, down from 5
-If a P starts to warm up before an inning, he must face at least one hitter.
-The runner’s lane to first has been widened to the inf grass
— Jesse Rogers (@JesseRogersESPN) December 21, 2023

News: @MLB Competition Committee approves rule change reducing the time between pitches from 20 seconds to 18 seconds when runners are on base.

MLB said, "Pitchers began their deliveries with an average of 7.3 seconds remaining on the 20-second timer in 2023."@MLBNetwork
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) December 21, 2023

Reason for rule tweaks to pace/time of game: League says game times crept up throughout the season. 7 minutes longer in Sept than April https://t.co/I89LrAAjPo
— Jesse Rogers (@JesseRogersESPN) December 21, 2023

In early September, it was reported that despite numerous requests from players, MLB wouldn't be making any changes to the pitch clock rules for the playoffs.

The 2023 campaign was the first year that MLB used pitch clocks (after years of testing at the minor league level). Pitches were required to be thrown within 15 seconds when the bases were empty and 20 seconds when runners were aboard.

Multiple reports throughout the summer showed that the rule changes were impacting the game as planned, drastically reducing the number of contests that went over three hours.

MLB commissioner Rob Manfred spoke highly of the changes during the season and in July said that he had been "routinely stopped by fans talking about the rule changes in a very positive way."

Victor Barbosa

Victor Barbosa is a passionate follower of MLB, the NBA and NFL, with a deep interest in Boston-area teams. He graduated from Springfield College -- The Birthplace of Basketball -- in 2013 with a degree in Communications-Sports Journalism. Previous bylines include FanSided, Heavy and Syracuse

More must-reads: