Rule Changes for 2020

Max Power

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Jul 20, 2005
7,877
Boston, MA
All of the rule changes have been announced for 2020.

https://www.mlb.com/news/mlb-rule-changes-for-2020-season
I hadn't heard about the changes to the IL and minor league options. It's back up to a 15 day minimum stint on the injured list and you can't recall a pitcher less than 15 days after sending them down. No team will be able to pull the Dodgers scheme of rotating their rotation with minor league options and 10 day IL stints anymore.
 

DeadlySplitter

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Oct 20, 2015
33,247
the time limit on challenges was rarely enforced, you'll see even more challenges go past that "limit" now.
 

Melrose Diner

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Feb 11, 2020
502
Man, I really don't like the possibilities this opens up as far as gaming the system with the pitcher/batters faced minimum. Lefty comes in, gets a guy out and suddenly has a cramp. I feel like the crew chief will probably always side with the player being "injured" but MLB could have a mess on their hands quick with that.

Also, say you're up two in the ninth and your closer gives up back-to-back moonshots. Tough luck, he's gotta pray he doesn't do it again? Maybe an amendment is needed that the batters faced rule is waived if an earned run is allowed.
 

DJnVa

Dorito Dawg
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Dec 16, 2010
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The two way player rules seems confusing. Someone explain it like I'm 5. I mean, I get the idea, but I think the article I read wasn't explain it right.
 

Melrose Diner

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Feb 11, 2020
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The two way player rules seems confusing. Someone explain it like I'm 5. I mean, I get the idea, but I think the article I read wasn't explain it right.
I interpret it as a written exception to the maximum pitchers you can carry; that is, Ohtani can pitch for the Angels AND they can have 13 on top of him
 

grimshaw

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May 16, 2007
4,220
Portland
Cracking down on position players pitching too. Didn't really know that was an issue, but apparently so.
I don't think it was a major issue either, but position players rarely came in during non blow outs in the first 9 innings of a game. They can pitch if their team is up or down at least 6 runs which is typical anyhow.

I'm not a fan of a 13 pitcher max at all though with the roster increasing to 26. If the strength of your team is pitching and you don't have any players that need platooning, that's just a dead positional spot in the AL. If I'm the Sox and have to face the Yankees in a 4 game series with a bunch of starters who can't go 5, I'd rather be able to load up on bullpen arms. Especially now that pitchers have to stay in the minors 15 days when optioned. The NL benefits way more from the extra roster spot. They'll still have pinch hitting options another time through the order.
 

stepson_and_toe

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Aug 11, 2019
386
The two way player rules seems confusing. Someone explain it like I'm 5. I mean, I get the idea, but I think the article I read wasn't explain it right.
It is confusing but the best I can interpret it is that a pitcher must either be grandfathered in because he has met the requirements in 2019 (or 2018 if he was injured in 2019), the requirements being that he has pitched at least 20 innings in the same season that he also started another position for at least 20 games in which he had at least 3 PA in each. If he has not been grandfathered in, then in the 2020 season, the player must pitch at least 20 innings and also start at another position for at least 20 games in which he gets at least 3 PA in each before he may be designated as a two-way player.

There does not seem to be any reason that all 26 players on the roster could not be designated as two-way players but getting the innings pitched for position players would require a lot of one-sided games. Similarly, you could have a pitcher pinch hit for the DH in blow outs as long as you were certain he would get at least 3 plate appearances. You could probably take a young player, who is still under control, and use him as a pitcher or position player until he fulfills that part of the requirement, then send him back to the minors and recall him for the other role. Once he gets that requirement filled, he could be designated as a two-way player.