New pickoff rule coming to minors

stepson_and_toe

New Member
Aug 11, 2019
386
I don't recall hearing about this experiment in Indy ball but MLB is in the final stages of a plan that will change some of the pickoff rules in part of the minors in 2020. Pitchers will have to step off the rubber before they can throw to a base in a pickoff attempt. The Andy Pettite-style where a lefty would hang on his back leg before stepping to first to throw or home plate to pitch will be eliminated as well as inside moves to second base. The levels have yet to be finalized. When it was used in the Atlantic League last year, stolen base attempts went from 1.03 to 1.69 per game from the first half to the second half of the season and the success rate for basestealers also increased from 75% to 81% during that same time period. Double plays also dropped from .82 per game to .63. Baseball America