We Already Have Our First Pitch Clock Violation Of The 2023 MLB Season

Major League Baseball is instituting a pitch clock for the 2023 season in an attempt to speed up play.

While many fans have decried the loss of tradition, others have been thrilled that games may be shorter and more fast paced.

Players too, have had mixed reactions to the pitch clock addition.

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Friday marked the first opportunity for fans and teams to see it in action at the MLB level. And probably unsurprisingly, it did not take long for there to be a violation.

It also isn't particularly surprising who was the first pitch clock victim.

Padres star Manny Machado took too long to get into the box in the first inning of his team's first spring training game. And so baseball had its first pitch clock penalty of the season.

Didn't take long.

Pitch Clock to Bring Substantial Changes

The fact that a violation happened so quickly shows how much of an adjustment this will be for many players.

That said, the change in pace of play was almost immediately visible.

At bats moved faster, pitches were delivered with a good, quick rhythm, and the game had a significantly better flow to it.

While it may be hard for pitchers and hitters to adjust their normal routines, once they do, this seems like it'll be an overwhelming net positive.

Machado after the game acknowledged it'll be tough for him in particular.

"I'm gonna have to make a big adjustment. I might be 0-1 down a lot this year," he said. "It's super fast. There's definitely an adjustment it's gonna be."

Manny's certainly been in the center of the baseball world to start spring training.

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Regardless, one of the most fascinating subplots of the early season will be watching how many are punished with balls or strikes.

And seeing who complains about it the most.

Written by
Ian Miller is a former award watching high school actor, author, and long suffering Dodgers fan. He spends most of his time golfing, traveling, reading about World War I history, and trying to get the remote back from his dog. Follow him on Twitter @ianmSC