Major League Baseball continues to keep things interesting, making sure the game never gets too predictable. On Thursday, Evan Drellich of The Athletic reported that MLB has instituted two new rule changes for the 2025 season, further shaking up the landscape of the game.
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First up, MLB is tightening the leash on fielders who have tried to skirt the infield shift ban that was implemented in 2023. As many know, the rule requires two infielders to be on each side of second base, but teams had found ways to position a fielder, typically a shortstop, too close to the bag.
Now, if that happens and the fielder is the first one to touch the ball in play, the batter will be awarded first base, and any runners on base will move up a bag. The fielder will also be charged with an error. This change is meant to prevent teams from exploiting the shift in ways that were outside the spirit of the rule, adding another layer of integrity to the defensive game.
The second change is one that will impact replay reviews. MLB is now giving replay officials more authority to review whether a runner has overrun second or third base. In the past, if a runner beat the throw but was called out, they would automatically be awarded the base upon review if the throw was deemed late. Now, even if the runner initially beats the throw, they can still be ruled out if replay shows they overran the bag. This is intended to give officials more control and reduce any ambiguity on close plays.
These rule changes, which passed unanimously by MLB's competition committee, continue the trend of innovation under commissioner Rob Manfred. While not as drastic as some of the previous changes, like the pitch clock or the "ghost runner," they reflect MLB's ongoing effort to fine-tune the game and keep it evolving.
