Red Sox pitcher Kenley Jansen got candid about the MLB's new pitch clock rules and how it affects his game.
There's no denying that the new pitch clock rules have revolutionized the MLB.
Last season, the average time of a nine-inning major league game clocked in at just over three hours. Worried about the steadily rising duration times of MLB games in the last decade — which ties into TV viewership and other financial factors — the league decided to trim away excess minutes by introducing a pitch clock rule that's more or less simple in execution.
Pitchers are now given 15 seconds between pitches with bases empty, and they get five more seconds on top of that if runners are on base.
Enforcing these new pitch clock rules has cut roughly 30 minutes from each game on average given the small sample size of the 2023 season; however, some effects of the rules are less visible to the naked eye.
Yes, MLB games move along more efficiently now, but the pitch clock change could come at a silent and deadly cost, per Boston Red Sox closer Kenley Jansen.
Jansen recently made a guest appearance on Audacy's "Baseball Isn't Boring" podcast and gave his two cents on how the pitch clock rule has thrown its own curveball at pitchers, who are now expected to quickly adjust to a faster game tempo.
Red Sox pitcher Kenley Jansen reveals dire consequences of MLB pitch clock rule
Jansen said:
"You're learning and adjusting right now, especially when you come out there and you're not throwing strikes. It can get a little challenging. What would you do if there's no pitch clock there? You learn how to slow down the game, reset your mind, go back out there and attack the zone. That's the one thing for me, I'm learning how to adjust to that."
Jansen speaks about his personal experiences as a closer and how he used to take time to reset in later innings to prevent the game from "speeding up" on him.
Calibrating one's pitches to the new pitch clock rules isn't just a mental change, either. It can take a physical toll on pitchers if they're not pacing themselves correctly.
"People are getting worn out… You're playing with somebody's career and basically might blow out. I'm not criticizing, I'm speaking the reality."
After spending the majority of his career on the Dodgers, Jansen agreed to a two-year, $32 million contract with the Red Sox this past offseason; in 15 games in 2023, he's recorded a 3.95 ERA with 17 strikeouts and 10 saves.
Jansen's critique of the MLB's pitch clock rule may be echoed by other pitchers who also feel like the expedited pitching times lead to unfortunate injuries. The pitch clock was rolled out in the minors first, but the MLB has longer seasons and more stressful game environments.
Ultimately, Jansen admits "we all want the game to be better" and issues a word of caution to the league, hoping that the MLB will be open to feedback from players and adjust the rules as necessary.
"I think this is the year we all have to learn and not be stubborn about it. We're going to die and this game will still be better."
