MLB using Independent Atlantic League to test changes

[King]

The independent Atlantic League has long been an innovator, and they have long been happy to blaze a trail for Major League Baseball to follow.

 

Now, the two sides have formalized what was already happening informally, as the league and Major League Baseball announced a three-year agreement that will allow MLB to use the independent league as a testbed for rules and equipment changes.

 

And those rules changes will be significant. While no one with the Atlantic League would confirm the changes, it is expected that the rules tweaks will involve moving back the mound and using Trackman to call balls and strikes, both rules changes that have long been suggested, but are significant enough to require plenty of in-game testing.

 

And those are changes that would be nearly impossible to first implement in any level of affiliated minor league baseball or the developmental Arizona Fall League, as all 30 teams would likely be hesitant to let their prospects loose on a mound that isn’t 60-feet, 6-inches from home plate. But the Atlantic League, which is full of veteran pitchers, many of whom have MLB experience, will give MLB an opportunity to try out a rather significant change with high-caliber players.

 

Under the decision, beginning this season, the Atlantic League will adopt new rules at the request of MLB and then will offer feedback on the advantages and disadvantages of the new rules. MLB will also now serve as the official statistician for the Atlantic League and MLB will install Trackman radar devices at all eight Atlantic League stadiums so that all 30 MLB teams can receive in-depth data on each and every pitch and ball put in play at any Atlantic League game.

 

“We have enjoyed this working agreement the past four years that has largely covered the transfer of players. Informally when we commenced that discussion we began a dialogue. We told them that we will do things we believe are best interests of professional baseball. If it’s useful to you, great,” Atlantic League President Rick White said. “We kind of had this happy intersection of our intentions and their initiatives where it is now formalized.”

 

It’s hard to underplay what a significant day this is for the Atlantic League. This is the first time in memory, and likely ever, that there has been a joint press release issued by Major League Baseball and an independent league. Ever since the Frontier League and Northern League debuted in 1993, independent leagues were long seen by many in affiliated baseball as the rogues of professional baseball.

 

The divide was significant enough that the National Association renamed itself Minor League Baseball in 1999 in part to help create a clearer distinction between affiliated minor league teams and independent league teams.

 

Now, MLB has gone into partnership with an independent league, using it to try out rules changes and developing closer ties to make it easier for MLB clubs to scout and sign players from the Atlantic League.

 

“It’s a wonderful collaboration and opportunity. To see our logo side by side with Major League Baseball is a great step forward for the Atlantic League . . . It’s a great day for the Atlantic League. We thank Major League Baseball,” Atlantic League Founder Frank Boulton said.

 

The Trackman installations will be similar to that seen at most affiliated minor league parks. It will not be the full MLB setup where each player on the field is tracked at every moment. The Atlantic League’s officials believe that the new setup (and having stats provided by MLB) will help more Atlantic League players sign with MLB teams.

 

“Now each game we play will be transmitted to each of the 30 MLB clubs. A numbers of scouts had suggested over the past few years that if we could ever get Trackman it would make a difference in the exposure players receive,” White said. “Because of the nature of our players, virtually ever one of our games is scouted. But the challenge those scouts had was they were having difficulty interpreting their personal view versus the advanced analytics that every affiliated player has at the Double-A/Triple-A level. This gets past that.”

 

White would not specify any rules or equipment changes yet, but said that there will be several rules changes that will be announced before the season begins. Another pair of changes may be announced for the second half of the season. MLB has agreed to give the league 45 days advance notice before any rules change that happens before a season and 30 days for any change that occurs for the second half of a season. The Atlantic League is open to provide feedback and/or suggestions before any rule is adopted.

 

Previously, MLB has used the Arizona Fall League as its testbed for rules changes, but it is almost impossible for MLB to test-run a mound change with young pitching prospects. The use of pitch tracking to call balls and strikes also explains a reason why MLB will need to invest in Trackman installations for all eight Atlantic League teams.

 

These rules tweaks will be significant changes, but when it comes to trying to adopt rules changes, the Atlantic League has been ahead of the curve. The league first rolled out new rules to speed up their games in 2013, when the league began ensuring the time between innings was limited to 125 seconds or less and emphasized to umpires that they should call the high strike.

 

Before the next season, the league added a pace of play committee to discuss and propose rules changes to help speed up games. For the 2014 season the league cut the warm-up pitches to six from eight, eliminated pitchers needing throw pitches for intentional walks and limited each team to three timeouts for defensive meetings per game. It also emphasized that umpires were to diligently apply the rule that keeps hitters from stepping out of the batter’s box.

 

Now, MLB has gone into partnership with an independent league, using it to try out rules changes and developing closer ties to make it easier for MLB clubs to scout and sign players from the Atlantic League.

 

https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/atlantic-league-expected-to-add-robo-umps-other-changes-from-new-mlb-agreement/

[Terminator]

This is a good idea for both leagues.

[Deadpool]

"The use of pitch tracking to call balls and strikes also explains a reason why MLB will need to invest in Trackman installations for all eight Atlantic League teams."

 

[Spanky__99]

I don't get moving the mound back? Yet, I like the trackman change, how far are they moving the mound back?

[Bobthe4th]

I don't get moving the mound back? Yet, I like the trackman change, how far are they moving the mound back?

 

It’s probably to try to counteract pitches being faster. Further away = more air resistance = slower ball when it reaches the batter. It could be an interesting alternative to lowering the mound.

[Dick_Pole]

That article reads like s***. It's three paragraphs worth of information stretched out five times. I was trying to find by how much they plan to move the mound back. No dice.

 

This is a stupid cycle. Pitchers are required to throw harder and harder, making them more susceptible to injury. The answer to that is to make the good ones pitch less and less and the mediocre ones get thrown into specialist roles where they can blow their arms through max effort on 20 pitches. To combat...umm, the high strikeout rate I guess? (Because offense is not near historical lows) they want to move the mound back now?

 

How about let's just let everyone go back on steroids and look the other way so we can see the good pitchers pitch 200+ IP into their 40's and the good hitters hit 50+ bombs a year.