What is a disengagement violation in MLB? Explaining the crucial rule in baseball

The MLB rule for disengagement violation has come under severe scrutiny once again after the New York Mets threw away their game against the Kansas City Royals due to a violation from pitcher Josh Walker.

The Mets lost the game 7-6 after reliever Josh Walker was called for a balk in the 10th innings of the game. This has caused many fans to question what the disengagement violation really is.

The current rule for disengagement violation involves a pitcher stepping off the rubber without throwing a pitch or faking a throw to a base without stepping off the rubber first. This results in a walk for the batter, and if there's a player on third base, it results in a run for the batting team.

That is exactly what happened when Mets pitcher Josh Walker flinched with the bases loaded in the 10th innings, causing the umpire to call a balk and result in a walk-off win for the Royals.

The call was a clear example of the disengagement violation rule in the MLB and caused New York fans to blast their team for the rookie mistake.

What happened in the MLB encounter between the New York Mets and the Kansas City Royals?

With the New York Mets in a 6-4 lead heading into the bottom of the 10th, Bobby Witt and MJ Melendez's RBI singles helped tie the score for the Royals.

Then, following a two-out throwing error by rookie third baseman Brett Baty, Melendez scored the winning run after Walker balked with the bases loaded. It was an embarrassing error that has earned the Mets severe backlash from their fans.