MLB’s institution of the pitch clock has garnered its fair share of criticism, but super-agent Scott Boras believes it could affect players’ health, and he’s calling for change.
A guest on “Baseball Isn’t Boring” this week, Boras said the pitch clock is wearing hurlers out, creating the need for an extra spot on MLB rosters.
“Pitch clock is gassing a lot of these guys. It’s very difficult now to get through five innings,” Boras said. “I think we’ve definitely got to extend the number of pitchers we have on the Major League teams. We’re going to see a whole host of guys with 65, 75 appearances out of the bullpen. We’ve got to cut that back.”
Boras says pitching staffs should expand from 14 to even 15 players. Doing so might help keep innings down for pitchers and could decrease the use of position players on the mound, a practice that has become even more common in the pitch-clock era.
The pitch clock has been a hot-button issue throughout the season, with players on both sides issuing complaints. In April, Philadelphia Phillies slugger Bryce Harper commented on the pitch clock, saying many in MLB “want our game back.” Meanwhile, Harper’s teammate, pitcher Zack Wheeler said he might never “get comfortable” with the pitch clock, while Max Scherzer of the New York Mets has shared similar comments.
MLB isn’t likely to drop changes made to quicken the pace of games. However, as Boras hints, perhaps a few tweaks are in order for the betterment of the players and the game overall.
