Major League Baseball is reportedly considering requiring starting pitchers to pitch six innings.
ESPN’s Jesse Rogers reported Thursday. The league is reportedly considering the rule change as it aims to “restore prestige to starting pitchers” among its on-field goals.
Rogers said league officials offered a series of exceptions to the proposed rule, including if a pitcher is injured, throws more than 100 pitches or allows four or more earned runs.
An anonymous MLB source told Rogers that in addition to putting starting pitchers back in the spotlight, the league hopes the change will increase the “amount of game action” and reduce the “prevalence of pitcher injuries.”
Some industry experts speculate that the rule change will give pitchers more opportunities to throw strikes rather than the 100-plus mph fastballs and nasty curveballs that they currently throw.
“You have to take control of things,” Arizona Diamondbacks general manager Mike Hazen told ESPN. [pitching to] Contact will be the most important factor in preparing players to pitch six innings consistently.
“He’s going to have to slow down a bit, but that’s where it’s going to be hard to get outs.”
Six innings is still a long way from becoming a reality, with Rogers reporting that the change would require “years of advance notice.”
The requirement, like other recent rule changes, will likely begin as a test in the minor leagues before being implemented in major league baseball, giving teams ample time to fine-tune their player development processes.
This latest rumor comes after the league has implemented several rule changes in recent years to improve on-field production, including a pitch clock, limits on pickoff throws and a ban on shifts.
