With spring training games officially kicking off on Friday, the MLB world got its first taste of the pitch clock. The new pitch timer debuting this season requires a pitcher to throw within 15 seconds of receiving the ball with the bases empty and 20 seconds with runners on base.
The first pitch clock infraction was given to San Diego Padres All-Star third baseman Manny Machado in the bottom of the first inning of a spring training game against the Seattle Mariners. Machado took too long to get into the batter’s box and was given an automatic strike. Mariners ace Robbie Ray had Machado in a 0-1 hole without even throwing a pitch.
https://twitter.com/MrMatthewCFB/status/1629215678656831491?s=20
Machado seemingly made MLB history on Friday and while he was smiles, he did admit that he was going to need to make a big adjustment this spring. While the video above shows that Machdado was in the box, he revealed that he had to be engaged with the pitcher with eight seconds remaining on the clock.
“I might be 0-1 down a lot this year,” he jokingly said via Talkin’ Baseball. “It’s super fast. There’s definitely an adjustment period that’s gonna be, but I’m going down in the history books.”
Machado wasn’t the only one to be dinged on the new rule Friday. An automatic ball was issued to Kansas City Royals infielder Vinnie Pasquantino, due to a pitch timer violation from Texas Rangers pitcher John King, according to Kennedi Landry, who covers the Rangers for The Atheltic.
The MLB world was buzzing about the implementation of the pitch clock on Twitter.
https://twitter.com/PlayoffTanaka_/status/1629222549098840064?s=20
The pitch clock is good, and players getting infractions now is good. It is Spring Training and rule change, get the timing down now and by the time the season gets started no one will notice other than games moving faster. https://t.co/ARU89ZKmwE
— Matt Winkelman (@Matt_Winkelman) February 24, 2023
https://twitter.com/redsoxstats/status/1629225635959738368?s=20