MLB Rules: The ghost runner is here to stay
The extra runner in extra innings is official
The MLB Joint Competition Committee unanimously voted to keep the ghost runner a part of baseball for 2023 and beyond, Per Jesse Rogers of ESPN.
The rule is starting the 10th inning each team will start the inning with a runner at second and no outs. This was originally implemented back during the 2020 shortened season.
With any rule in the MLB fans and players will either embrace or push back. I have embraced this rule from the start. For someone who watches 162 games the season can feel long at times. Extra innings now have a sense of urgency from the jump, and there is still no guarantee that it lasts only one inning. The longest game, inning wise was 15 innings between the Cleveland Guardians and the Minnesota Twins.
This rule is in now a continued effort to move the game along. With pitch count now being implemented, a game this year consistently being under 3 hours is a real possibility. One of the biggest concern with the extra runner was that would now the advantage be to the road team since they bat first, but home teams in extras last year was 113-103.
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