MLB pitcher on how he and others will need to "adapt" to new rules

As part of a swathe of new rules rolled out by the MLB, pitchers will no longer have one of the biggest luxuries that most of them probably took for granted. That luxury, of course, is time.

Following the partial lockout that the league found itself in, commissioner Rob Manfred formed a 11-person "competition committee" that was tasked with examining and improving existing game structures in the MLB.

Before the 2022 season, the committee unveiled a few new rules, including a ban on defensive shifts, larger bases and a clock that will limit preparation time for both players and hitters. The moves are largely aimed at stimulating offense and shorterning games, with the average MLB competition lasting over three hours in 2022.

The issue of the pitch clock was summarized succinctly by Colorado Rockies pitcher Kyle Freeland. In reference to the age-old fact that all changes take time to get used to, the 6-foot-4 left-hander said:

"I think we need to get comfortable with being uncomfortable. It's adapt or die."

Max Scherzer of the New York Mets recently threw a strikeout that lasted no longer than 27 seconds in its entirety. This is just one of several examples already this preseason of the clock drastically increasing the fluidity of the game.

"Max Scherzer ends his first inning of work with a strikeout that took 27 seconds. Don't think anyone in baseball is better equipped to pitch with the clock." - Jacob Resnick

Under the new MLB pitch clock directives, pitchers will have no longer than 15 seconds to deliver their pitch. If there is a runner on base, the timer will expand to 20 seconds. Similarly, batters need to be ready by the eight-second mark, or else they will be counted with a strike against them.

San Diego Padres star Manny Machado was one of the first batters to fall victim to the eight-second timer. The NL MVP runner-up was good natured about his ignorance regarding the new provision:

"I guess I'll start a lot of at-bats this year with a 0-1 count."

ESPN writer Jesse Rogers is in Arizona, where the Cactus League is well underway. After speaking with players and staff, it became clear that the pitch clock is the change that will need the most adjustments from players.

"Entire half inning with pitch clock vs. one pitch without pitch clock" - Talkin' Baseball

Atlanta Braves starter Spencer Strider welcomed the changes, saying that it will "advantage the pitcher (over the batter)". The 23-year-old Braves pitcher had a record of 11-5 with an ERA of 2.67 across 31 appearances last season.

Spring training to give MLB players time to make the shift

While the pitch clock throws every time-tested dynamic of the pitcher-hitter game on its side, it is also a great opportunity. No doubt, the MLB will see a lot more mistakes on account of the new directives. At least fans and players have a month of preseason play to get themselves adjusted before the games start to matter.