The Pitching Clock
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According to Retrosheet’s data, the average playoff contest in 2021 took 3 hours and 40 minutes, up nearly 15 percent from a regular season that had already set an all-time high (3:11) for the longest games on record. While 2022’s regular-season games checked in at a comparatively brisker average of 3 hours and 6 minutes — merely fifth-longest all-time — it’s probably fair to expect this month’s typical postseason matchup to take at least 3.5 hours.
The 2022 playoffs might see the last of these megalong games being the norm, however, so enjoy them — or snooze through them — while they last. That’s because last month, MLB passed a series of rule changes that (among other differences) will mandate pitch clocks starting next season, limiting pitchers to 15 seconds between receiving the ball from the catcher and the start of their delivery with the bases empty, and 20 seconds with runners on base. The new timing mechanism has the potential to speed up the sport considerably at its highest level, as minor leagues that strictly adhered to a clock shortened their games by around 20 minutes.
