MLB Lockout Ends with New Rules

The MLB and the MLBPA recently had a disagreement that lasted for ninety-nine days with no information revealed about the forthcoming MLB season. 

Now the two sides have finally come to an agreement, bringing with it new rules for the MLB and MLBPA.

One of the new rules is called the Ohtoni rule. This new rule is where a pitcher can hit for himself, but he is known as a designated hitter. The rule says that, if the pitcher leaves the game, he can still be a DH. The rule also says that, if the pitcher is hitting for himself and he uses a pinch hitter, he can still pitch but cannot bat again. 

Officials also extended the due date of the roster all the way up to May 2. Before that, teams can carry twenty-eight players on the roster, but once that date comes, they will have to reduce their roster down to twenty-six players. The teams are also limited to thirteen pitchers. 

Officials also reestablished the man-on-second rule during extra innings. This rule is designed to make the games shorter if they go into extra innings. The rule requires teams to place the last player to get out while hitting on second base once the team is at bat again in extras. The rule doesn’t apply for doubleheaders. Instead, both of the games will go to nine innings in the 2022 season, though this could be changed next season. 

During the lockout, officials didn’t really give anyone any access to the new players in the league as well as some of the older players. Team owners would keep private the profiles of the newer players and outsiders rarely knew what was happening during the lockout. 

This lockout resulted in a lot of lost revenue for the MLB and the ballparks. The lockout sacrificed 184 games in the first four series of every team.