Major League Baseball (MLB) is considering changing the strike zone – again.
We all know and understand the unofficial strike zone has fluctuations all the time depending on the umpire, player reputation and even the game situation. However, this would be the first official adjustment in almost two decades.
The concern is that the official strike zone has gotten too low. The low called strike, while possibly correct under the current definition, has resulted in a reduction in offense in MLB that has runs per game the lowest in almost 35 years. While the focus on Performance Enhancing Drugs (PEDs) may have a role to play in the reduced scoring, many experts agree that the lower strike zone is having a definitive affect.
If the bottom of the strike zone is adjusted upward, just a couple inches by the reference to the knee of the batter, it’s likely that we’ll see more offense in the coming years.
Changes aren’t common, but do happen. The rules are occasionally tweaked to keep a competitive balance between the pitchers and hitters – i.e. changing the pitcher’s mound height after 1968.
A not so indirect benefit may be that the overall appeal of the game will be enhanced for the ticket buying fans and the television viewing audience. Never a bad thing if you want your product sales to keep on growing.
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