Major League Baseball games were long and dragged on hours at a time. The game was slow paced with many strikeouts and little action. Fans wanted more entertainment and higher scoring games so the league made changes to the rules. This sped up the games and added a new thrill to the game. 

The pitch clock was the most successful rule change that was made. This got rid of all the time wasted in between pitches and made the game speed up. Pitchers had to learn to work faster and batters had to learn to stay locked in and focused on the pitcher. It didn’t change how the game was played, it made it faster. This is great for fans as there is more actual baseball being played.

Another factor which was positive for fans and overall viewership was the league banning shifts, a move that created more offense. Teams would adjust their players to where the batter was likely to pull the ball creating little space for actual base hits. It is a smart strategy but creates little action. Players who hit line drives and singles were slowly disappearing. Now with shift restrictions there is more room for contact hitters to place the ball.

The larger bases also made a major difference. They made players more aggressive on the base path and players wanted to steal bases more, creating more close plays and more runs scored. Players now take more chances and the game is strategized around it. Stealing bases is once again a main part of the game.

These changes brought back the pace and strategy of the game. By shortening the game, banning the shift and making bases bigger the game of baseball has been improved. Baseball doesn’t just look better now, it is better.