Major League Baseball is always searching for ways to add more offense in games.
Action on the playing field, including scoring runs, hitting homers, triples, and doubles, and stealing bases generates excitement. And fan interest.
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baseball reference.com lists these year-by-year, average MLB batting averages for the past three seasons:
2026- .244
2025- .245
2026-. 243
The league average batting average has stayed steady for years.
In fact, in 2019, the average was .252. That was high.
Back in 2006, the average was .269.
Major League Baseball batting averages have dipped markedly over the years.
SCOTTSDALE, AZ – NOVEMBER 08: Luke Holman #29 of the National League Fall Stars signs autographs for fans prior to the 2026 Arizona Fall League Fall Stars game between the American League Fall Stars and the National League Fall Stars at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick on Sunday, November 8, 2026 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Jill Weisleder/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
Major League Baseball Experiments With New Rule:
During this Arizona Fall League season, specifically during games at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale, MLB is experimenting with regulated outfield positioning rules.
What does that mean?
MLB is making an attempt for outfielders to play “straight away” in left field, center field, and right field.
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The idea is to keep outfielders from adjusting their positioning based upon the known hitting tendencies, or from which batter’s box the hitter swings the bat.
Specific positioning areas are marked in all three outfield areas.
Outfielders must remain in those designated, marked areas until the pitch is thrown, and the ball is hit.
In theory, the experimental rule is designed to increase the number of balls hit in outfield gaps. If a player is stationary, in one specific spot, the outfielder will have to adjust quickly to a ball hit to either side of his dictated position.
In theory, the experiment is designed to increase the number of hits. Hits of all kinds; singles, doubles and triples.
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More hits translates to more action.
More action translates to more runs scored.
More runs scored translates to more fan engagement and interest in the game.
All true.
But this rule goes way, way too far.
Should an outfielder stray from the stated position, a large red X appears on a video board to alert the outfielder he is out of position.
For me, the idea is ridiculous.
espn.com wrote about the new rule.
For me, the idea changes one of the great joys of watching a baseball game. It strips away the strategy of how a team’s defense approaches individual hitters.
WASHINGTON, DC – APRIL 03: A general view of the MLB logo in the dugout before the game between the Washington Nationals and the Los Angeles Dodgers at Nationals Park on April 3, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
Major League Baseball’s Recent Rule Changes To Boost Offense:
There is MLB precedent for dictating a designated area for each outfielder to be positioned before the pitch is thrown.
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-MLB has outlawed infielders aggressive position shifting before the pitch is thrown.
As baseballstandard. com points out, Two infielders must be positioned on each side of second base. All four infielders must be on the infield, not on the grass beyond the infield dirt.
mlb.com/glossary/rulesshows some of these new changes designed to quicken the game, add excitement, and improve offense. Some of these rules include:
Rules changes are not new to Major League Baseball.
-MLB has added a “ghost runner” to be placed at second base for extra inning games.
The idea, which fans enjoy, is to encourage scoring earlier in extra inning games, eliminating long, drawn out games.
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The “ghost rule” does not occur in playoff games.
-MLB has initiated a “pitch clock: to speed up the game, and add action. The pitcher must throw the ball within 18 seconds with the bases empty, and 20 seconds with runners on.
-MLB initiated larger bases to possibly improve the number of stolen bases. They also limited the number of times a pitcher can disengage from the pitching rubber to three times per hitter.
There are more.
WASHINGTON, DC – AUGUST 24: A detailed view of an MLB logo on an on deck circle is seen at Nationals Park on August 24, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
Conclusions About Major League Baseball Outfield Positioning Experiment:
Major league baseball pitchers are bigger, stronger, throw harder, throw more pitches designed to fool the hitter, and change his eye level.
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The net result has been a decline in offense, more strikeouts, and fewer runs scored.
To help give offenses a boost, Major League Baseball is experimenting with a new outfield positioning rule in the Arizona Fall League.
In certain games (all at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale) the outfielders must remain in a designated spot prior to the pitch.
If the outfielder leaves the designated area, a large red X appears on a vide board.
For this old scout, the new rule experiment is ridiculous.
Major League Baseball is trying to add more offense by trying a new outfield positioning rule. We’ll see if it works.
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This article was originally published on Forbes.com
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: Sports.yahoo.com
