Baltimore Orioles outfielder Austin Hays says MLB pitch clock a challenge for hitters: "I don’t think it’s going to help offense in any way, really"

Baltimore Orioles outfielder Austin Hays said that MLB's new pitch clock is proving to be every bit the challenge to hitters as it is for pitchers.

Hays, speaking with the Baltimore Sun, said that the team's hitters are working hard to refine their offensive games due to the new guidelines that batters must be in the box and ready to receive the pitch with eight seconds remaining on the clock. The clock allows pitchers 15 seconds to deliver the ball with no runners on, and 20 seconds with runners on base.

Hays told the Sun:

"Pitching is about disrupting timing, and hitting is being on time, so now, when you actually put a clock into that factor, it makes hitting harder. I don’t think it’s going to help offense in any way, really. I really don’t."

Hitters are permitted one timeout per at-bat. Hays told the Sun that he had to use the timeout to clear his mind after swinging and missing at a breaking ball, then stumbling in the box. Under the old rules, a batter in such a situation would just back out of the box – no timeout necessary.

"You want to step out, clear your brain," Hays said. "All the game-planning you did before the game, all the video you watched, you talked about what he throws in certain counts, what he’s done to you in the past, you don’t really have time to do that now."

The pitch clock requires a new and specific style of timing for hitters of the Baltimore Orioles, as well as all the other MLB clubs. New York Mets pitcher Max Scherzer has forced batters who get into the box too early to wait for the entire clock to tick down or be forced to use their timeout. It's an experimentation in gamesmanship from the wily veteran.

Hays told the Sun that waiting for more than just a few seconds for a pitch can become a very uncomfortable experience:

"Fifteen seconds is, like, an eternity when you’re in the box."

Hays has become a key outfielder for the Baltimore Orioles

Austin Hays of the Baltimore Orioles

Hays has come a long way since debuting for the Baltimore Orioles in 2017. He played just 20 games in the majors that first season, then was in the minors for the entirety of 2018 before playing 75 games for Baltimore in 2019 and 33 more in 2020.

In 2021, Hays found his stroke and played in 131 games. He hit 22 home runs with 71 RBIs and a .256 batting average. Last season, he hit .250 with 16 homers and 60 RBIs in 145 games while playing all three outfield positions.