In the second half of Atlantic League play, the pitching rubber will go back to 61 feet, 6 inches, giving hitters more time to react. The league will also implement the «double-hook» rule, where a team loses its DH when it removes its starting pitcher.
Major League Baseball has once again teamed with the independent Atlantic League to test rule changes, with the current set aimed at keeping starting pitchers in the game longer and creating more balls in play. In the second half of Atlantic League play this summer, starting Aug.3, the pitching rubber will be moved back 1 foot — to 61 feet,6 inches — giving hitters more time to react to pitches, according to a release by MLB on Wednesday. With strikeout rates increasing for 15 consecutive years, MLB determined that the additional foot would be the «minimum interval needed to evaluate a change in mound distance.» The hope is fewer swing-and-misses and more contact — a change that is «meaningful without being disruptive,» according to the release. «We are grateful that the Atlantic League — which has been at the forefront of successful rule experiments in the past — has agreed to test a 12-inch increase in the distance between the pitching rubber and home plate during the second half of the season,» MLB consultant Theo Epstein said in the statement.
