MLB Players Reportedly Want A Longer Pitch Clock In The Playoffs

Major League Baseball's new pitch clock has generally been considered a rousing success.

Games are significantly shorter, pace of play is inarguably better, with fewer violations than expected.

Despite some hiccups and arguments, the pitch clock has been less of an adjustment than many believed it would be.

READ: IS MLB’S PITCH CLOCK ACTUALLY FASTER AT DIFFERENT STADIUMS?

But for some players, there's reportedly concern that it could be much more impactful in the postseason. And those players want MLB to make some changes to the rules ahead of October baseball.

Commissioner Rob Manfred addressed the possibility of adding on to the pitch clock Tuesday before the All-Star Game.

“We don’t want a postseason game decided by a rules violation, and I understand it’s a possibility,’’ Manfred said. “In terms of doing something for the postseason, we’re going to continue to talk to the players."

“I think you ought to play the postseason the way you play the regular season. There’s exceptions. I’m open-minded on that topic," Manfred continued. “But I prefer to keep the same rules in the regular season and postseason.’’

Players union head Tony Clark, according to USA Today, said the "feedback received from players is that they would prefer to provide longer than 15 seconds between pitches with no runners on base during the postseason."

Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Angels stands next to the pitch clock. easily the most discussed new rule for the 2023 MLB season. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

Is Adding Time To The Pitch Clock In The Playoffs A Good Idea?

There are good arguments on both sides of the pitch clock debate.

Adding a few seconds for the postseason could help increase the natural drama, tension and anticipation inherent in playoff baseball.

Given the increased stress on each pitch, it may help pitchers or hitters regain their focus in a pressure packed environment.

On the other hand, playoff game lengths have increasingly gotten out of hand in recent years.

In 2021, for example, the average game time of a postseason MLB game was roughly 3 hours and 40 minutes.

Die hard fans don't mind, but for a league trying to reel in younger audiences, that's a tough sell.

This year, regular season games have averaged around 2 hours and 38 minutes. Adding two to three seconds per at bat may bring that back closer to 3 hours. A time MLB is purposefully trying to avoid.

Not to mention the possibility of violations deciding meaningful games.

It's tough to strike the balance between adding drama and not alienating new viewers. And MLB's generally erred on the side of shorter games, regardless of other concerns.

But based on player feedback, they're going to have a tough decision to make. And they're quickly running out of time to make it.