Skip to main content

Rule Updates for 2019 in Minor League Baseball

Per a press release from Minor League Baseball on Friday, new pace of play initiatives will be in place for the upcoming 2019 season. 

Double-A and Triple-A levels will now require starting pitchers or any substitute pitcher to face a minimum of three consecutive batters.

Mound visit limitations will also see some refinement as will the second base runner to start extra inning frames.

See complete details below.

PITCHERS TO FACE MINIMUM OF THREE BATTERS 
 
- At the Triple-A and Double-A levels, the starting pitcher or any substitute pitcher is required to pitch to a minimum of three consecutive
batters, including the batter then at bat (or any substitute batter), until such batters are put out or reach first base, or until the offensive team
is put out, unless the starting pitcher or substitute pitcher sustains injury or illness which, in the umpire-in-chief’s judgment, incapacitates him
from further play as a pitcher. 
 
EXTRA INNINGS RUNNER ON SECOND BASE REVISION 
 
- At all levels of Minor League Baseball, extra innings will begin with a runner on second base. If the last batter of the previous inning was the
pitcher, the player to occupy second base to start the following inning will be the player in the batting order before the pitcher’s spot in the
lineup. By way of example, if the pitcher bats in the eighth position and the number nine hitter in the batting order is due to lead off the 10
th
inning, the number seven player in the batting order (or a pinch-runner for such player) shall begin the inning on second base. Any runner or
batter removed from the game for a substitute shall be ineligible to return to the game, as is the case in all circumstances under the Official
Baseball Rules. 
 
PITCHER’S MOUND VISITS 
 
- Visits by coaches and position players will be limited based on the classification level. Triple-A teams will be allowed five (5) visits per team
(down from six), Double-A teams will be allowed seven (7) visits per team (down from eight), Single-A teams will be allowed nine (9) visits per
team (down from 10) and there will not be a limit on mound visits for Short Season and Rookie-level clubs.
- For any extra-innings played, each club shall be entitled to one additional non-pitching change mound visit per inning.
- Official Baseball Rule 5.10(l), which governs mound visits by a manager or coach, remains in effect (i.e., a pitcher must be removed on the
second visit by a manager/coach in an inning).

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

All I Want For "the Holidays" is the MLB Network

Ladies and gentlemen, there are 5 days left till Hannukah, 9 days left till Christmas and 16 days left till the premiere of the MLB Network. It's about time. Those of you that enjoy MLB.com's original programming, it may be a while till your favorite hosts appear on The MLB Network. The announced TV schedule is not similar to MLB.com's online schedule. MLB.com's studios are in NYC, and the MLB Network's studios will be in Secaucus NJ...so that's another bump in the road. Cross overs, while possible, might be less likely. The great internet programming on MLB.com includes morning and afternoon talk shows, a midday fantasy advice call-in show, a lunch time talk show and variety half hour formatted show, and of course the nightly wrap up, as well as other original programming that focuses more on the history of the game. MLB.com's programming started as streaming radio shows, then upgraded to a visual medium when video feeds were provided for the same sho...

Hockey Taking Over CBP

The takeover has begun. As the holiday season approaches and winter becomes more imminent, January 2nd, the date of this season's NHL Winter Classic draws nearer. In 2012, Philadelphia's Citizens Bank Park will play host to the annual regular season hockey contest that is broadcast on national television. The ballpark is otherwise home to Major League Baseball's Phillies. In the upcoming game, the Flyers will take on New York Rangers. It will be New York's first Winter Classic appearance, while the Flyers, who lost at Boston in 2010, will be seeing action in the annual event for the second time. This will mark the fifth year for the NHL's premiere regular season contest, which first took place in 2008 at Buffalo's Ralph Wilson Stadium, home of the NFL's Bills. The process to convert the baseball playing field into an ice rink, in time for the week of hockey events set to take place at CBP, began this week. In addition to the January 2nd regular season...

World Series Preview: Phillies vs. Astros

The Fall Classic is set to get underway on Friday with the Phillies opening on the road to take on the Astros in a best-of-seven series. This year marks 75 years since the first time a World Series was televised and this year each game will be broadcast on the FOX television network.  ESPN will have the radio broadcast and that feed can be streamed by using this link . Game 1 Friday, 8:03pm Eastern....in Houston.  RHP Aaron Nola (11-13, 3.25 ERA) vs. RHP Justin Verlander (18-4, 1.75 ERA).  In 16 road starts during the regular season this year, Nola notched a 5-9 record with a 3.00 ERA.  Nola has struck out 18 and walked three in 17 1/3 innings pitched this postseason.  Earlier this month, Nola tossed 6 2/3 scoreless innings at Houston.  In 15 home starts during the regular season, Verlander sported a 10-1 record with a 1.64 ERA and a 0.88 WHIP.  Verlander has a 5.68 ERA and has not recorded a win in seven career World Series starts.  Verlander has...