MLB Is Changing Baseball… For The Better?

The owners and players that make Major League Baseball reached a deal on a new collective bargaining agreement earlier this month — and as part of it, the sport will finally change a few rules to boost game action. In recent years, games have slowed dramatically — with more dead time than ever — and the number of balls in play slumped as well. The changes on the horizon are expected to be the most consequential in decades. As MLB commissioner Rob Manfred told reporters, the agreement will bring the designated hitter to the National League and bring back the “ghost runner” that starts on second base in extra innings. After some experimentation from the league, fans will also likely see larger bases to encourage more base-stealing, a pitch clock to keep games moving, and the limiting of defensive positional shifts to make hits easier to come by. LZ and Will debate whether it’s time to forget about the past, cater to the tastes of today’s entertainment audiences, and bury the game’s purists.