TAMPA, Fla. — Major League Baseball made news during the offseason by changing some rules to speed up the game. If Opening Day is a sign of what's to come, speed will now be associated with baseball.
According to Sportsnet Stats, the average time of a Major League Baseball game on Opening Day was two hours and 45 minutes, compared to three hours and 12 minutes last season.
The Tampa Bay Rays played one of the fastest games on Opening Day against the Detroit Tigers. The Rays disposed of the Tigers with a 4-0 shutout in just two hours and 14 minutes, according to the official box score.
Jimmy Traina of Sports Illustrated found just five games went over three hours on opening day. Of those games, three had combined run totals of at least 18.
A pitch clock and limiting batters stepping in and out of the batter's box all contributed to the increased pace of the games.
