Moving second base? Dramatic checked-swing adjustments? Crackdowns on batter timeouts and PitchCom chicanery?
A number of fascinating rule change experiments are coming to the minor leagues in 2026, in accordance to a memo obtained by The Athletic after it was despatched by Major League Baseball to all 30 golf equipment final week. Details of the memo have been first reported by FanGraphs.
Many of the new 2026 guidelines are sure to elevate eyebrows, not to point out the blood stress of minor-league managers and executives. But in contrast to the pitch clock and ball-strike problem system, which additionally started as minor-league experiments, there is no such thing as a assure you’ll ever see any of those adjustments at a major-league ballpark close to you.
For almost a decade now, MLB has used the minor leagues as a take a look at lab for all kinds of concepts — some sport-changing, some that have been rapidly deserted. The 2026 adjustments are seen as experimental, not inevitable. But in participant improvement departments throughout baseball, officers are already scrambling to educate gamers and workers on what they’re about to encounter.
The minor-league adjustments might be unfold out, and utilized otherwise, amongst totally different leagues and ranges of the minors. Here is what these numerous leagues might be working by:
Moving second base
Did you recognize that for greater than 100 years, second base has been positioned in the flawed place? True story. Despite what you realized in Little League, second base has by no means been 90 toes from first or third base, principally as a result of it flunked geometry.
Confused but? Here’s the deal: Imagine the infield as a wonderfully symmetrical diamond. If you then draw an imaginary line round the infield, first base and third base are in the good spot, in their respective corners of that diamond. Second base, on the different hand, is not.
Basically, it’s midway inside and midway exterior that imaginary diamond. So that’s about to change — in the International League, at the very least.
(Source: Official Rules of Baseball)
Beginning in the second half of the season, the second-base bag will transfer to its rightful spot in the nook of the imaginary diamond. That means it will likely be nearer to house plate, however extra importantly, it’s going to even be about 9 inches nearer to each the first-base and third-base baggage — and 13 1/2 inches nearer than it was earlier than rule adjustments elevated the dimension of the bases.
“Original” distance — 88 toes, 1 1/2 inches
Distance with bigger bases — 87 toes, 9 inches
“New” distance — 87 toes
We wrote rather more extensively about all of this 4 years in the past, the first time the sport experimented with this change in the minors. If you’re curious, you’ll be able to learn extra about why second base wound up in the flawed place here.
What’s the aim? Three years in the past, MLB launched rule adjustments designed to encourage huge leaguers to begin stealing extra bases. It labored nice — for some time. But final 12 months, the league noticed a lower in stolen-base makes an attempt and success price. So the hope, clearly, is that if the distance between the bases will get shorter, it’s going to rev up the operating sport once more. But that’s not the solely experiment being trotted out with that aim in thoughts.
Fewer disengagements
Once once more, this change is about making an attempt to get these base stealers transferring once more.
In the huge leagues, nothing will change. So pitchers nonetheless have two disengagements per batter. That interprets to two pickoff throws, or some mixture of stepping off the rubber or throwing to a base. If they do {that a} third time, it’s a balk, except the runner is thrown out.
But beginning with Opening Day, in the three Double-A leagues — the Eastern, Midwest and Southern Leagues — pitchers might be allowed to use solely one disengagement as a substitute of two. So it’s going to now be a balk on the second pickoff transfer in the event that they fail to throw out the runner.
What’s the aim? Again, you recognize what followers actually like? Base stealing. So what’s the greatest means to get extra of it into the sport? MLB is making an attempt to determine that out. What it doesn’t know is which rule change is more than likely to encourage extra base stealing — a shorter pickoff restrict/disengagement leash or a shorter distance between bases. So it’s going to unleash each of these experiments at totally different ranges of the minors — and see what it could be taught.
High-tech checked-swing guidelines
Let’s sum up the rule on checked swings: Um, there really is not any rule, so the umpiring normal has at all times been, We’ll understand it after we see it.
It’s lastly starting to happen to everybody, although, that that normal was simpler to dwell with in 1926 than in 2026. That’s as a result of, in 2026, there’s this newfangled factor generally known as know-how. And in the event you’re planning to watch any minor-league baseball in Tacoma or Albuquerque this 12 months, you’re about to change into very conscious of that.
For a few years now, baseball has experimented with utilizing bat-tracking know-how in the Low-A Florida State League to hone in on checked swings — and assist decide whether or not a batter swung at a pitch or not. That know-how is now coming to the Triple-A Pacific Coast League, beginning with every workforce’s first full sequence in May.
It may have two intriguing new parts:
1. Hitters, catchers and pitchers can problem a checked-swing name — however it’s going to depend in opposition to their two ABS ball/strike challenges if the authentic name is upheld. The concept there’s to introduce the new know-how however not overload every sport with extra challenges.
2. And for the first time, there might be wording that lays out what a “swing” is. According to the memo, if the “maximum angle between the bat head and the bat handle exceeds 45 degrees,” that might be thought of a swing. Anything lower than 45 levels is taken into account a no-swing.
What’s the aim? It’s the newest chapter in baseball’s unending quest to cut back the strikeout price. Will it work? We’ll discover out. But in the Florida State League final season, the strikeout price dropped by greater than 3 share factors with this checked-swing know-how in place. So let’s see if that interprets at greater ranges.
But there are two extra issues you must know. One is that 45 levels is usually thought to be considerably farther than many checked swings which are at the moment being known as “a swing” (i.e., a strike) in the huge leagues. So count on some fired-up pitchers and managers once they see how this goes.
Second, this know-how will solely be used in the PCL. It is not going to be used in baseball’s different Triple-A league, the International League. However, the 45-degree normal will now be thought of the dividing line between a swing and a checked swing. So International League umpires might be anticipated to implement the similar ideas, regardless that groups gained’t have the know-how or a problem system to lean on in the event that they disagree. What might probably go flawed there?
It will get tougher to beat the pitch clock
Three years after certainly one of the most vital rule adjustments in historical past, we all know this: The pitch clock works. Games are shorter. The motion is crisper. So why is MLB about to crack down on the authorized strategies gamers have devised to get that clock to cease once they want a breather?
It’s as a result of video games really obtained two minutes longer in the huge leagues final 12 months, creeping from 2 hours, 36 minutes for the common nine-inning sport to 2:38. So the league desires to check out a couple of anti-stalling measures simply to see what works.
No batter timeouts in Low A — In Low-A leagues, batters will now not be allowed to name timeout at any level in an at-bat, aside from “special circumstances.” The league’s definition of these circumstances: brushbacks, damage considerations, “bona fide” tools points, and many others.
Limited batter timeouts in High A — In High-A leagues, batters can name time solely with a runner on base. Again, the similar “special circumstances” might be the exception.
Shorter timeouts in Double A and Triple A — In these higher ranges, batters can nonetheless name time. But umpires will now not look ahead to the hitter to be prepared earlier than they restart the clock. Instead, they’ll instantly reset the pitch clock — and hitters have to be again in the field, eyes locked on the pitcher earlier than the clock hits eight seconds remaining.
Crackdowns on PitchCom glitches — The league has (accurately) found out that pitchers are actually stopping the clock extra typically by routinely claiming their PitchCom units aren’t working. In Triple A, they will nonetheless try this, however it will likely be counted in opposition to their “mound visit” limits. If a pitcher claims his PitchCom is on the fritz after his workforce is out of mound visits, it will likely be thought of a pitch-clock violation — which means it’s an computerized ball.
Quicker mound visits — Speaking of mound visits, the league desires to velocity these up. So all through the minor leagues, there might be a mound-visit countdown clock. And everybody besides the pitcher has to depart the mound earlier than that clock hits zero. If that doesn’t occur, it’s going to even be thought of a pitch-clock violation.
Catchers might be on the clock — Across the minor leagues, catchers can now not cease the clock by getting out of their crouch and leaving their place to give defensive indicators to the infielders. The clock now will proceed to tick, and the catcher wants to be again in the catcher’s field earlier than it hits 9. That, too, might be a pitch-clock violation if he doesn’t make it.
What’s the aim? The league apparently considers these methods to be a gentle type of chicanery. So it desires to gauge the impression of conserving these clock-stopping methods to a minimal. It’s potential none of it will ever attain the huge leagues. But it’s not unimaginable, both.
Starting pitchers returning to the sport
If you watch a lot spring coaching baseball, you’re already accustomed to this. A beginning pitcher will get in hassle in the second or third inning. His pitch depend for the inning ticks shut to 25 or 30. So the supervisor has the freedom to take him out of the sport for the remainder of that inning, then convey him again to begin the subsequent inning.
That rule is now coming to baseball’s three improvement leagues: the Arizona Complex League, Florida Complex League and Dominican Summer League. It is not going to be in impact in any of the extra superior leagues.
What’s the aim? This is one change that has no implications for another league. It’s purely a security valve to maintain the youngest pitching prospects in the sport from getting overloaded, fatigued and, doubtlessly, injured when an inning reels in the flawed route. There aren’t any plans to broaden this one past spring coaching and these short-season leagues. So don’t wager on the Pirates ever having the ability to attempt it some night time with Paul Skenes.
