,
9 tweets,
2 min read
Read on Twitter
Some thoughts on requiring pitchers to throw to at least three batters...At first blush, it seems drastic. But, when you look closely, it could end up being a cosmetic change. In 2018, there were 1,876 non game ending appearances of 2 or fewer batters, or about .75 per game. 
So, if the goal is to quicken the game, and the average pitching change eats up 5-6 minutes, there would be a modest reduction resulting from the new rule, all else being equal. However, there is some possible mitigation of that reduction.
First off, it could turn out that leaving an ineffective reliever in the game longer leads to the inning being extended, which would simply delay the inevitable pitching change and actually use up more time.
Second, many 1 and 2 batter appearances end an inning. For example, using one team as a proxy, the Angels had only 18 of their 63 appearances of 1 or 2 batters end in the middle of an inning.
If you apply that same percentage (28.5%) to the league, there would only be 659 pitching changes saved, or closer to 1 every 3.5 games (a net time savings of less than 2 minutes/game).
Granted, you could argue the 3-batter rule would deter managers from bringing in relievers to get the last 1, 2 outs of an inning, but it seems more likely they'd simply let that same pitcher continue in the following inning, eventually necessitating a pitching change anyway.
So, from a time savings standpoint, the new rule doesn’t seem as if it'd be impactful. Maybe the real impetus is to increase offense, but I'm not sure this kind of rule is an effective way to go about it (i.e., by handicapping defense instead of systematically favoring offense).
Is a small time savings and a slight boost to offense worth removing the strategic element of a short stint pitching change? I am not so sure. I am on the fence, but lean towards no.
Finally, also, of note, the Angels’ pitcher in 12 of 18 short appearances in the middle of an inning was Jose Alvarez, a lefty specialist. There are more than a few of those around the league, and they will be disproportionately impacted by this rule change.
