How long does an MLB game last in 2024? Examining time spent to complete a fixture

Recent rule changes have drastically affected the average length of games. In addition, these rules seem to have had a positive affect on the popularity of the sport itself.

October and November are always exciting times in the MLB. It is a time when those who do not normally watch baseball spring into interest over the World Series, one of the most widely-viewed spectacles of the year.

How long does an MLB game last in 2024?

The biggest change to the length of games in recent memory has been the addition of the pitch clock. This has led to an extreme shortening of games. Front Office Sports on X shared a breakdown of the changes.

"Average MLB game length:2022: 3 hours, 5 minutes. 2023: 2 hours, 36 minutes. Attendance is up for 20 out of 30 teams, and games are averaging 26,753 fans — up 5% from last year" - Front Office Sports

When baseball first gained widespread popularity in the 19th century, there were no such things as innings. Originally, runs were called aces and the game went on until one team reached a certain number of aces.

However, the MLB now has innings. They have nine innings in a proper game. Each inning is divided into two parts: the top and the bottom. The top of the inning is the away team's chance to get runs. The top of the inning ends when the home team registers three outs. These can come in the form of strikeouts, flyouts or groundouts.

Thanks to the pitch clock, these match requirements were settled in just over two hours by the Cleveland Guardians and Seattle Mariners.

Sometimes, when neither team has more runs than the other at the end of nine innings, extra innings are required. One of the longest postseason games was played this year as the Houston Astros bested the Seattle Mariners 1-0 in Game 2 of the ALDS. To learn more about how extra innings work in the league, you can check out our article on that here.

Games typically last nine innings, sometimes more. However, in rare cases such as doubleheaders, games can only be played up to seven innings. These are quite exceptional scenarios though, and will likely never be witnessed in postseason baseball.

MLB playoff baseball can feature some long games

Whether or not you have been a baseball fan for 40 years, or are just learning, the playoffs are a great place to start. Tonight, the Philadelphia Phillies will take on the Houston Astros in Game 3 of the World Series. There is no better way to learn about how baseball works than to watch the games.