MLB Batter Clock violation explained: Rules and Hitters at risk in 2023

Modified Feb 27, 2023 14:20 GMT

Los Angeles Dodgers Photo Day — MLB batter clock: JD Martinez was one of 2022's slowest hitters

The batter clock is a new rule for baseball this year. It functions as a way to keep pitchers and hitters on a timer so that there's far less dead time in a baseball game. The average game took over three hours to play in 2022, and that's tough to sit through for the average fan.

This is especially true when games begin in the evening and fans have to work in the morning. If an extra innings game occurs, it could be well into the night before the game ends.

The batter clock in MLB will ensure that hitters aren't dawdling around outside the batter's box in between pitches. Instead of stepping out and adjusting their gloves and walking around for 30 seconds, they have to be back into the box.

Moving forward, there can be 30 seconds in between hitters. Once a play is over, the next hitter has 30 seconds to get into the batter's box.

Batters must also be set in the box (meaning not tapping their bat and adjusting into their stance) with eight seconds left on the timer. If they don't, an automatic strike is applied.

This happened to a few players in early spring training action like Manny Machado, but none more notable than a game-ending strike call against Cal Conley. The bases were loaded in a tie game and he got an automatic strike and was out.

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Hopefully, a game doesn't end on that kind of note this season, as losing because one didn't follow the rules would be frustrating.

MLB batter clock: Which hitters might struggle?

Per Baseball Savant, these MLB hitters are at risk of struggling with the MLB batter clock. In 2022, they had the slowest tempo (which is roughly the time they spend in between pitches):