Thursday afternoon, Major League Baseball announced a bunch of new rule modifications for 2024.

Here are some of the new rule modifications that were approved by MLB’s Joint Competition Committee:

• Runner’s Lane:  According to the modification the runner’s lane will now be widened to include the dirt area between the foul line and the infield grass. According to MLB by “widening the lane allows batters to take a more direct path to first base while retaining protection from interference.”
• Pace of the Game: Moving forward in 2024, the pitch clock will be changing. According to the modification, “if a new pitcher steps onto the warning track with less than 2:00 remaining on the inning break clock, the clock will reset to 2:00 rather than 2:15.”
• Mound Visits:  The amount of mound visits will be reduced from five to four per game and an extra mound visit will still be awarded for the ninth inning if the defensive team has zero mound visits remaining. Additionally, umpires will also permit defensive players to signal for a mound visit without actually visiting the mound to “further help improve pace of the game.”
• Number of hitters a pitcher will face: According to the new modifications the number of hitters a pitcher will face is going to change. “A pitcher who is set out to arm up for an inning must face at least one batter (in addition to any requirements under the three-batter minimum rule.)” According to MLB, there were 24 instances in 2023 where the pitcher that warmed up in between innings was replaced before throwing a pitch.

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