Newly appointed commissioner Rob Manfred already seems steadfast on making his own custom mark on the game while also moving on from the Bud Selig era. According to Ken Rosenthal, Major League Baseball has sent a list of proposed changes to the game to the Players Association which Rosenthal writes is a ‘package of date’ and could include the following:
- Lowering the mound
- Moving the fences in at all MLB stadiums
- Wrapping the ball tighter so it would go further
- Adjusting the strike zone
- Adopting the DH in the National League
When it comes to the DH rule, Manfred hinted that may be a little difficult to adopt or nullify in both Leagues during an interview with the New York Times.
“I can’t see the American League clubs giving it up, and right now, given the composition of our National League owners, I don’t see them buying into it,” he said. “So I think we’re staying where we are.”
Manfred has also expressed his desire with speeding up the game however with this list of proposed changes there’s an obvious precedent set on increasing the offense which could only lead to more runs and perhaps a longer duration of the game. Think about it, more runs leads to longer innings and more stress on pitching staffs. It’s basically allowing PEDs without actually allowing PEDs.