SWC75
Bored Historian
- Joined
- Aug 26, 2011
- Messages
- 34,337
- Like
- 66,950
MLB Implementing Two Rule Changes Ahead Of 2025 Season
Fielders have pressed the limits of the shift restrictions since the rules were implemented, and the penalties for those making a play after breaking the guidelines did not face severe implications. However, if a player is ruled to have committed a shift violation, they’ll face a harsher penalty in 2025, per Evan Drellich of The Athletic:
"If that happens going forward, the batter is newly to be granted first base and any runners would advance one base. The fielder would be charged an error, while the batter would not register an at-bat. The offense could also decline that penalty and take the result of the play."
MLB has addressed another trend around baseball, which is runners going full speed into a base on a potential force play. The reason for players doing so is to avoid the force out, while they could continue on to the next base:
"The other rule change is more arcane, but allows replay officials to check whether a runner arriving at second or third base overran the bag in a situation where they previously had to ignore that matter. Going forward, the replay official can call the runner safe on the force play, but then out for abandonment. And whether the run coming home from third scores depends on when he’s ruled to have actually abandoned the bag."
