By Trevor Roughan
MLB made some major changes to America’s Pastime in advance of the 2023 season. Heaps of coverage and discourse have been dedicated to analyzing the league’s banning of shifts and newly implemented pitch clock. This is for good reason, as these two rule changes have had a profound impact on the look, feel, and strategy of the sport. Compared to last season, games are 30 minutes shorter on average, and far more base hits and great plays have been recorded. Coming off the heels of an incredibly popular, successful World Baseball Classic, baseball might be entering a new “golden age.”
There is one rule change from the offseason that didn’t garner much attention, however, it’s also drastically changed the way the game is played. The size of each base was increased from fifteen to eighteen square inches. It doesn’t sound like much, but the first week of the 2023 season dictated otherwise. After 50 games, teams have combined for 70 stolen bases, more than doubling 2022’s total of 33. Players are stealing bases at a higher clip too, with an 83.3% success rate in that span. In 2022 that number was, at the time, a near-record 75.4%.
This rule change has had wide-ranging effects thus far, for example, teams who have promoted and played young talent have been generally rewarded. Players like MLB’s #5 overall prospect, Anthony Volpe, have seriously benefited. Volpe stole three bases in his first three games, with other youngsters like Corbin Carroll, Myles Straw, and Jorge Mateo also impressing on the basepaths. If this trend continues, teams may begin to manipulate prospects’ service time less, which would be great for players as well as the fans that want to see “the kids play.”
Plus-defense at catcher will become even more of a premium too. If players are stealing more often and at a higher success rate, the catchers with excellent pop-time and rocket arms will become as valuable as ever. Could you imagine, similar to a pinch-hitter or runner, a pinch-catcher in the playoffs? We’ll see.
At the end of the day, stolen bases are fun, and MLB wanted to increase action on the basepaths for that reason. Some players have jokingly referred to the new bases as pizza boxes, and I have a hard time arguing with this comparison— they really do look like pizza boxes. I’m looking forward to seeing how these pizza boxes, as well as the rest of the recent rule changes, further affect baseball. If the early returns are any indication, then MLB’s huge gambles seemed to have paid off in a big way.
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