World Baseball Classic Illustrates Why Pitch Clock Should Not be Used in MLB Postseason

[Melissa Berman]

On March 21, baseball fans crowded around TVs and packed into bars to watch Team USA battle Team Japan in the World Baseball Classic (WBC) championship. Not only will the game be remembered for the Mike Trout vs. Shohei Ohtani, head-to-head showdown that ended the game, but it is also notable that it will likely be the last professional baseball game fans watch without a pitch clock until the WBC rolls around again in 2026. The game had the highest viewership ever recorded for a WBC game. Amid all the drama and national pride, no one complained about how long the game took: 3 hours and 18 minutes. 

Image courtesy of Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

As baseball fans are familiar with by now, 2023 will mark the first year MLB uses a pitch clock in the major leagues- 15 seconds with the bases empty and 20 seconds with runners on base. 

So far, MLB has shown a great willingness to listen to feedback on the pitch clock and make tweaks and adaptations to improve it. In advance of Opening Day, MLB has already implemented a few minor changes, such as allowing more time for the pitcher to return to the mound after being involved in a defensive play (like covering first base or home plate) and giving the catcher additional time to put on his gear after running the bases or making the final out of the inning on offense. 

MLB commissioner Rob Manfred told the Associated Press that MLB is listening to feedback from players and is willing to make further changes to the pitch clock if needed. 

"We have another set of issues that we want to see some regular season games before we make a decision on them," Manfred said. "I've met with six teams' players already. Our feet are not in stone on this. On the one hand, and we are prepared to make adjustments based on input. On the other hand, we want to give it a chance to see exactly how it plays out after a period of adjustment in some regular-season games before we make any really significant alteration."

Last year, I wrote a piece evaluating the pros and cons of a pitch clock, but it’s a done deal now, and evaluating whether they should or should not use a pitch clock at all is no longer relevant. The pitch clock has shaved twenty-five minutes off games (regular season games in 2022 lasted an average of 3 hours and five minutes), pitch timer violations have gradually declined this spring, and the pitch clock has been acclaimed by many, including the Twins broadcaster Dick Bremer. (One can imagine why the pitch clock might make a broadcaster’s job easier; they have to fill 25 fewer minutes of on-air time). 

However, there is still discussion to be had regarding when and how exactly MLB uses the pitch clock. The excitement and drama of the WBC games earlier this month, especially in the aforementioned USA vs. Japan final, illustrate why the pitch clock does not belong in postseason games. Anyone who watched a WBC game, even during the first round of pool play, can attest to their playoff-like feel. Due to the high stakes of each playoff game, like the high stakes of playing a game representing your country, players should be able to take their time during at-bats.

There is an entire extra layer of strategy involved, and playoff games are often much louder than regular-season games. Therefore, it would be better to let those games play out naturally. In the WBC championship, it was incredible to let the game breathe and hear the crowd cheer as the camera zoomed in on Shohei Ohtani on the mound. Fans noted that Ohtani would have had a pitch clock violation perhaps every pitch during Mike Trout’s at-bat. The MLB postseason features high-stakes at-bats like this too, and as cliché as it sounds, the playoffs are where history is made. People will be re-watching this clip of Ohtani vs. Trout for decades. Why rush along moments like this?

Scott Boras, agent to Carlos Correa and many other MLB players, agrees and said in The Athletic that based on player feedback he’s received, MLB should not use the pitch clock in October.

“In the postseason, there clearly should be no pitch clock,” Boras said. “It’s the moment, the big moment. They need to reflect, they need more time, it’s a different scenario than the regular season, and we do not want their performances rushed.”

“We understand why they would probably (use a clock) during the season, for the efficiency of the game and what they believe to be a fan-positive move for the shortening of games — understood. But in the postseason, we don’t want these men in a completely different emotional environment, where the settings mean so much more, where all their work and effort, all their goals are achieved. And at this level, we want them to have the appropriate time, both pitchers and position players, to evaluate and move forward in the most prepared and directed way.”

Boras is in the business of representing his MLB clients during contract negotiations, and he doesn't want potentially career-altering moments to be rushed because those could feasibly impact a future contract. During regular season games, I agree with Boras that it is beneficial to move the games along. Will it attract new fans to the game? No, but it might help keep some fans a little more engaged by packing the same amount of action into a shorter amount of time. But in the postseason, fans in the stands pay hundreds or even thousands of dollars for playoff tickets; their number one priority probably isn’t to get out of the stadium as fast as possible. Fans who truly love baseball and the playoffs will watch the games regardless if they are 2 hours 40 minutes or 3 hours and 30 minutes. People who don't care about baseball will have probably tuned out already and won't still be watching baseball in October anyway; NHL, NBA, NFL, and college football will have started. 

And who is to say, after an entire season of using a pitch clock, the players wouldn't be so used to keeping the game moving that they would do so anyway without a pitch clock? I find it unlikely that if MLB took away the clock for the postseason, these games would immediately balloon back up to the average pace of the past, around 3.5 hours, especially considering many players who have been in the minor leagues the last couple of years have previous experience playing with a pitch clock. 

If MLB decided to distinguish between pitch clock usage in the regular season and the postseason, it would not be uncharted territory rules-wise: MLB already does this with its runner on second “ghost runner" rule, which it does not use in October. The reasoning here is clear: MLB doesn’t want a high-stakes postseason game decided by a sacrifice fly to the outfield, which allows a runner no pitcher allowed to get on base to score. So why would MLB want a postseason game to be decided from rushed decision-making, or worse, on a pitch clock violation, like happened to the Braves in spring training? Braves hitter Cal Conley was not ready to go in time with a full count in the ninth, and the umpire called a strikeout to end the game.

"I don't think this (rule) was intended for a game to end like that," Braves manager Brian Snitker said after the game. 

If MLB does not want to eliminate the use of a pitch clock in the postseason altogether, perhaps they could consider adding a few seconds onto the clock as well.

I have also seen suggestions that the pitch clock should not be used late in regular season games, such as after the 7th inning, or there should be no pitch clock in the 9th inning. However, this brings about an issue: it would make it unfair to have pitchers competing under different conditions; it would make it harder to compare oranges to oranges or Griffin Jax to Jorge López. Pace issues are most prevalent at the end of games anyway, so if we are concerned about the length of games, not having a pitch clock during the potentially-longest innings of the game defeats MLB's stated goal of shortening games. Inconsistent pitch clock usage in a game could be confusing for pitchers & batters and fans too; I think it should either be used in the full game or not at all. 

I am encouraged at MLB's willingness to listen to player feedback on the pitch clock and to adjust the rules as needed. Time will tell if this feedback leads to further tweaks on the pitch clock's usage, or if players become so used to it that it's a nonissue for the playoffs anyway, 

As I watched the WBC championship at a bar, the tension and nerves in the room came to a head during that dramatic, historic ninth inning. I leaned over to one of my friends and asked, "Aren't you glad there isn't a pitch clock right now?" 

 

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[Cory Engelhardt]

100%. This was a great article, and I agree completely. This and the ghost runner. Both of those should not be in postseason play.

Thanks!

[Doctor Gast]

Thank you Melissa for your article. WBC was wonderful to watch, the excitement, the love of the game, national pride; made the game enjoyable to watch and expands the love of the sport globally. But I attest that American culture has changed. I noticed the last time I was able to go to a game, I saw TC bear giving away free T-shirts but other than that the crowd around me was not into the game. They were dead, busy on their cell phones. I left the game disappointed. Having the crowd into the game IMO makes up more than 50% of the experience of being at a baseball game. Plus having the fans in the game aids a lot in getting the players motivated. So if you complain the players are dead, this is a good part of the reason why.

Unfortunately because this lack of enthusiasm and players exploiting the time factor to try to gain advantage over his opponents has gotten way out of hand. Because of this, the time clock had to be implemented (I'd also love Robo Ump implemented). Personally I wouldn't mind the time clock implemented into the post season.

[AJray15]

Absolutely wrong. The NBA doesn’t change the shot clock to 35 seconds once the playoffs hit. The NFL doesn’t change the play clock to 50. You’re not losing any drama or anything with the pitch clock, you’re losing hitters do absolutely nothing for no reason. Watch the 91 World Series. It was suspenseful as hell and players weren’t wasting any time like they do now. Get in the box/on the mound. They’ll get used to it come October.

[TwinsDr2021]

Didn't think I would be a fan of the pitch clock, but was Monday's game and both me and my son loved how fast the action was and complained when pitchers brought the clock down to 2 or 3 seconds.

[Mike Sixel]

Strong disagree. Other sports don't change their rules for the post season, and neither should baseball. I have no more interest in watching 3.5 hour games (with 30 minutes of actual action) in October than I do now.

[miracleb]

The WBC will have the pitch clock in 4 years....if it is continued to be used in the MLB.......

[Florida Flash]

While I hate the ghost runner during the season and in the post season. Heck I dont even like it in slow pitch softball, but understand they are trying to get in three games an evening, so okay.

But I do like the clock so far. . It has always been frustrating to watch hitters fiddle around with their batting gloves and re-landscaping the batters box after every single pitch and worse, pitchers that seem reluctant to even ever throw the ball. Many times I have simply turned off the game as it drags on and on because of this.

[raindog]

Counterpoint, someone made an edit of the Trout/Ohtani a-bat as if there was a pitch clock:

Still feels intense. And watching the 91 World Series doesn't feel any less intense because of how quick the pace was back then. 

[DJL44]

If they get rid of the pitch clock for the postseason expect to see a bunch of advertising during at-bats. I'm sure you'll enjoy that a lot more than a fast paced baseball game.

[DocBauer]

The game speeding up is a good thing. The improved pace of play keeps the game moving along, and if anything, keeps the intensity up. Changing the rules for the post season infringes on the integrity of the game, and if anything, takes away from the intensity of special moments. I mean, both pitcher and hitter having to get in a physical and mental mindset NOW, instead of dancing around the mound, adjusting gloves, wiping the bat down again, tap cleats, etc, etc, just delays the moment. It doesn't intensify it.

[Schmoeman5]

Totally disagree. Avg game time in 1984 was 2.35, last year 3.22. What happened in those 40 years. Pitchers strolling around, hitters stepping out after every pitch to re-adjust their batting gloves, catchers running out to the mound, etc. I guess the shorter games is too distracting for the phone watchers. Now you really have to pay attention. Wow! I personally like it. It's not speeding up the game. It's just bringing it back to where it should be by eliminating all the extracurricular activities. But the ghost runner has to go.

[Bob Twins Fan Since 61]

Sorry Melissa, I love the pitch clock and the pace of the game with it.  Players are adapting well to it.  It will be fine for the playoffs.  I'm retired now but did not like the 4-hour plus playoff games at night.  When I had to get early the next morning for work.  Go Twins!

[tony&rodney]

We discussed the pitch clock so much last year. MLB has had a rule for about 100 years that pitchers must pitch within a specified time along with wording about batters getting in the box. It was never enforced and players pushed the boundaries to absurd lengths (as much as 60 seconds between pitches). The reason no player has any difficulty whatsoever dealing with the current clock is because all have had to get in the box or pitch in a timely manner during their entire amateur and pre-MLB professional careers. Calling a ball or strike for refusal to do so was right there in the rules.

I do think Melissa has a fair point in the post season. The players have already shown a few ways to get around the time ticking down: calling time, a mound visit, a coach visits, requesting grounds crew to address the mound, bug in the eye, and so forth were some of the simple delays seen yesterday. We will also see managers coming out to discuss some things with an umpire on a few carefully picked moments. The clock is something that can still be collectively discussed to come to a mutually agreeable decision. 

The ghost runner is a different thing however because it puts an emphasis on strike outs by pitchers. No longer does the pitcher with a low K rate play on an even field. You could be that guy who has a .050 batting average against but get passed up for a big arm like Emilio Pagan. Manfredball was a bad idea from the beginning and there is no better argument than MLB never considered it viable for the post season. If they wanted something different and fun,  a relay race with all 26 players involved would be more exciting and just as viable for ending the game.

[nicksaviking]

I also disagree. We had long games BECAUSE Jeter and Garciaparra started trying to out-primp and procrastinate each other during national TV games. I'm happy to be away from the dog show theatrics and back to actual game action. I don't want the post season games ruined so the movie-star wannabe filled teams the Twins always end up playing can audition for their post-playing career TV gigs while they're in the batters box.

[Unwinder]

I think I disagree? My main reason is that the postseason is the most likely time that a casual, non-fan is going to catch a game, and so assuming a snappier pace of play makes the game more palatable to casual viewers, the playoffs are the most important time to have a pitch clock.

Second, I think the pitch clock is probably going to benefit offense since pitchers will not be able to rest up as much between pitches, and I think tilting things a little bit in favor of offense contributes more to the drama of a playoff game than it removes in tension between the batter and pitcher.

I also just feel like it devalues regular season games a little bit. If we remove the pitch clock to soak in the drama of the postseason, I feel like we're basically declaring regular-season games dramatically void.

[Melissa Berman]

2 hours ago, Cory Engelhardt said:

100%. This was a great article, and I agree completely. This and the ghost runner. Both of those should not be in postseason play.

Thanks!

Thanks so much for the kind words!! I'm sure we'll be happy the pitch clock is keeping things along when we're shivering at the Home Opener next week, but postseason is a different thing!

[Melissa Berman]

24 minutes ago, nicksaviking said:

I also disagree. We had long games BECAUSE Jeter and Garciaparra started trying to out-primp and procrastinate each other during national TV games. I'm happy to be away from the dog show theatrics and back to actual game action. I don't want the post season games ruined so the movie-star wannabe filled teams the Twins always end up playing can audition for their post-playing career TV gigs while they're in the batters box.

I appreciate the thought!! These will be action-packed postseason games for sure

[Melissa Berman]

34 minutes ago, Bob Twins Fan Since 61 said:

Sorry Melissa, I love the pitch clock and the pace of the game with it.  Players are adapting well to it.  It will be fine for the playoffs.  I'm retired now but did not like the 4-hour plus playoff games at night.  When I had to get early the next morning for work.  Go Twins!

Go Twins!! More time after the game to celebrate that Twins postseason victory... hopefully

[Melissa Berman]

33 minutes ago, tony&rodney said:

We discussed the pitch clock so much last year. MLB has had a rule for about 100 years that pitchers must pitch within a specified time along with wording about batters getting in the box. It was never enforced and players pushed the boundaries to absurd lengths (as much as 60 seconds between pitches). The reason no player has any difficulty whatsoever dealing with the current clock is because all have had to get in the box or pitch in a timely manner during their entire amateur and pre-MLB professional careers. Calling a ball or strike for refusal to do so was right there in the rules.

I do think Melissa has a fair point in the post season. The players have already shown a few ways to get around the time ticking down: calling time, a mound visit, a coach visits, requesting grounds crew to address the mound, bug in the eye, and so forth were some of the simple delays seen yesterday. We will also see managers coming out to discuss some things with an umpire on a few carefully picked moments. The clock is something that can still be collectively discussed to come to a mutually agreeable decision. 

The ghost runner is a different thing however because it puts an emphasis on strike outs by pitchers. No longer does the pitcher with a low K rate play on an even field. You could be that guy who has a .050 batting average against but get passed up for a big arm like Emilio Pagan. Manfredball was a bad idea from the beginning and there is no better argument than MLB never considered it viable for the post season. If they wanted something different and fun,  a relay race with all 26 players involved would be more exciting and just as viable for ending the game.

These are all excellent thoughts. I think it will be fine to have the clock on the postseason, but it just seems like it shouldn't be as necessary as regular season: when they play 162 of these things, you gotta keep em moving, and it was MLB's goal to make these games more "action-packed." At least no more one-game playoffs

[Melissa Berman]

43 minutes ago, Schmoeman5 said:

Totally disagree. Avg game time in 1984 was 2.35, last year 3.22. What happened in those 40 years. Pitchers strolling around, hitters stepping out after every pitch to re-adjust their batting gloves, catchers running out to the mound, etc. I guess the shorter games is too distracting for the phone watchers. Now you really have to pay attention. Wow! I personally like it. It's not speeding up the game. It's just bringing it back to where it should be by eliminating all the extracurricular activities. But the ghost runner has to go.

Super great thoughts. I'm a fan of the pitch clock for the regular season. It's going to take some getting used to equating an MLB game as the same length of time as a NHL or NBA game. Kind of nice.

[Melissa Berman]

50 minutes ago, DocBauer said:

The game speeding up is a good thing. The improved pace of play keeps the game moving along, and if anything, keeps the intensity up. Changing the rules for the post season infringes on the integrity of the game, and if anything, takes away from the intensity of special moments. I mean, both pitcher and hitter having to get in a physical and mental mindset NOW, instead of dancing around the mound, adjusting gloves, wiping the bat down again, tap cleats, etc, etc, just delays the moment. It doesn't intensify it.

Really great points- appreciate you reading

[Melissa Berman]

That's a great point. No more ads for me, thanks! 😂

[Melissa Berman]

1 hour ago, raindog said:

Counterpoint, someone made an edit of the Trout/Ohtani a-bat as if there was a pitch clock:

Still feels intense. And watching the 91 World Series doesn't feel any less intense because of how quick the pace was back then. 

This is awesome, thanks so much for sharing- I hadn't seen this 

[Melissa Berman]

1 hour ago, Florida Flash said:

While I hate the ghost runner during the season and in the post season. Heck I dont even like it in slow pitch softball, but understand they are trying to get in three games an evening, so okay.

But I do like the clock so far. . It has always been frustrating to watch hitters fiddle around with their batting gloves and re-landscaping the batters box after every single pitch and worse, pitchers that seem reluctant to even ever throw the ball. Many times I have simply turned off the game as it drags on and on because of this.

I'm definitely going to love the pitch clock when I'm sitting out at the cold Home Opener next week, that's for sure!!

[Melissa Berman]

2 hours ago, TwinsDr2021 said:

Didn't think I would be a fan of the pitch clock, but was Monday's game and both me and my son loved how fast the action was and complained when pitchers brought the clock down to 2 or 3 seconds.

It was definitely nice, gotta keep the regular season games moving when there are 162 of em

[Melissa Berman]

2 hours ago, Doctor Gast said:

Thank you Melissa for your article. WBC was wonderful to watch, the excitement, the love of the game, national pride; made the game enjoyable to watch and expands the love of the sport globally. But I attest that American culture has changed. I noticed the last time I was able to go to a game, I saw TC bear giving away free T-shirts but other than that the crowd around me was not into the game. They were dead, busy on their cell phones. I left the game disappointed. Having the crowd into the game IMO makes up more than 50% of the experience of being at a baseball game. Plus having the fans in the game aids a lot in getting the players motivated. So if you complain the players are dead, this is a good part of the reason why.

Unfortunately because this lack of enthusiasm and players exploiting the time factor to try to gain advantage over his opponents has gotten way out of hand. Because of this, the time clock had to be implemented (I'd also love Robo Ump implemented). Personally I wouldn't mind the time clock implemented into the post season.

These are really great thoughts. That's a great point that fans will probably be more engaged in the game and thus contribute to a more exciting in-stadium atmosphere 

[Mike Sixel]

Love that the OP is responding maturely and with gratitude that others commented. Thank you.

[Alex Wilde]

3 hours ago, AJray15 said:

Absolutely wrong. The NBA doesn’t change the shot clock to 35 seconds once the playoffs hit. The NFL doesn’t change the play clock to 50. You’re not losing any drama or anything with the pitch clock, you’re losing hitters do absolutely nothing for no reason. Watch the 91 World Series. It was suspenseful as hell and players weren’t wasting any time like they do now. Get in the box/on the mound. They’ll get used to it come October.

I agree with your take to an extent, but you can’t bring up other sports that have set time constraints for the games themselves because the comparison does not match up at all. Those rules are in place so that teams don’t use up the entire clock before a snap or shot, where as baseball is simply trying to speed up game play.

[Melissa Berman]

59 minutes ago, Mike Sixel said:

Love that the OP is responding maturely and with gratitude that others commented. Thank you.

Genuinely grateful for you all taking the time to read! Some less contentious pieces to come! 🤪 thanks for reading + the kind words