Is Major League Baseball on NASCAR’s Path of Destruction?

Why more standardization, like new starting pitching rules, will ruin MLB

JD Solomon
Beyond the Scoreboard
5 min readSep 20, 2024

--

MLB risks alienating the traditional fans who love the sport. (Photo by Matt Benson on Unsplash)

Baseball and NASCAR have been a big part of my sports life. Baseball has always been a staple, and I have really never wavered from playing, coaching, or leading youth programs.

NASCAR is a much more love-like relationship, but it started with listening to Richard Petty duel David Pearson in my grandfather’s garage. NASCAR messed up their sport a decade ago with too much standardization.

Is Major League Baseball heading down the same road as NASCAR?

NASCAR’s Over-Standardization

I attribute NASCAR’s downfall to its introduction of a one-car design, the Car of Tomorrow (COT), in 2007. NASCAR claimed it had something to do with safety, but it was really about cost control.

All of the cars look alike. The traditional spirited debates on which manufacturer made the best car are gone. Neither Ford nor Chevy makes the cars now. Dodge exited the sport many years ago.

Not only did the cars look the same, but soon the drivers did, too. Yep, they are the same height, weight, and build — and they have the same bland personalities.

Too much standardization led to a steady decline in race attendance and TV ratings. My friends and I quit going to races. Over half of the fan base is diapered. NASCAR crashed.

MLB’s Recent Standardization Efforts

MLB has introduced several rule changes to speed up the game, improve safety, and make the sport more appealing to younger audiences. The most recent changes have increased attendance and had an overall positive financial effect.

However, I remember that NASCAR peaked in attendance and financial value when they began to standardize.

These are a few changes that may be pushing MLB closer to the NASCAR path of destruction.

1. Pitch Clock and Pace of Play Rules

MLB implemented the pitch clock last year (2023 season). The pitch clock limits the time pitchers and batters can take between pitches and speeds up the game. Most games now last less than three hours. So far, the standardization of time between pitches has been a success.

However, the tradeoff is that pitchers are limited in their number of pick-off attempts and the number of times they step off the mound. Batters have similar limitations on how many times they can step out of the box. Catchers give signals electronically and don’t give hand signals anymore, both to prevent sign stealing and to speed up the game.

2. Shift Restrictions

MLB implemented a rule last year restricting defensive shifts. In previous years, teams could position defenders wherever they wanted. Analyzing data and using extreme shifts resulted in fewer hits. The shift restriction aims to bring back more traditional infield play and boost scoring.

However, I’ll join the critics who argue that limiting defensive strategies is a step toward over-standardization. Teams should be able to leave one side of the field open, and the opposing team should be able to bunt or hit to the opposite field. By restricting defensive shifts, Major League Baseball creates a more homogeneous style of play. I’m having a flashback of NASCAR’s standardized car designs.

3. The Designated Hitter in Both Leagues

In 2022, the universal designated hitter (DH) was implemented in both leagues. The purpose was to standardize the game, produce more offense, and allow fan favorites to extend their careers. The move was probably necessary due to the introduction of inter-league play over a decade ago. Still, it has consequences of making the game blander.

Gone are the days of sacrifice bunting, pinch-hitting for pitchers, and double switches. There’s no downside to pitching a string of relievers for just one inning each. Having the DH in the American League and not having it in the National League offered diversity.

4. Computerized Strike Zones (Robot Umpires)

An additional proposed change lurking for a few years is using automated strike zones, or “robot umpires,” to ensure consistent ball and strike calls. Umpires have always been part of the game. Think about all of the great moments of manager-umpire arguments. There’s not much drama or excitement with managers arguing against machines.

The Proposed New Starting Pitching Rules

MLB is considering a rule requiring starters to go at least six innings in their starts. This change bothers me the most in terms of over-standardization.

The starting pitching changes would essentially eliminate the practice of using an “opener.” A relatively new strategy, the opener may only work one or two innings but forces a strategic decision for the other team’s batting order. A left-hander tends to produce a batting order with more right-handed hitters. If the next pitcher is a righty, the pitching team has a strategic advantage.

The rule would likely come with several exceptions to account for certain circumstances during games. In concept, starters would be allowed to be pulled early if they reached 100 pitches, allowed four or more earned runs, or suffered an injury.

Not only will the new standardization of starting pitchers destroy another strategy and make the game blander, but it also ignores a bigger issue related to starting pitchers. Many Major League pitchers now have Tommy John surgery at some point in their careers and usually don’t come back as strong or at all.

I recently read some thoughts of future Hall of Famer Max Scherzer, who said we can’t talk about minimums and having starting pitchers pitch more until we first address the injury (Tommy John surgery) issue. Scherzer’s right. From the sandlot to the Major Leagues, we don’t have enough starting pitchers. The focus should be on improving injuries, not making the game more plain (and boring).

Will MLB Learn from NASCAR’s Mistakes?

While Major League Baseball is certainly not on the verge of collapse like NASCAR experienced, the parallels are hard to ignore. NASCAR’s over-standardization alienated its core fan base by removing the elements that made the sport exciting and unique. In its attempt to modernize and appeal to a wider audience, NASCAR lost sight of what had drawn fans in the first place.

MLB now faces a similar dilemma. Professional baseball is trying to adapt to the rapidly changing sports environment. However, in its effort to make the game faster, more predictable, and more offense-oriented, MLB risks alienating the traditional fans who love the sport. Professional baseball has made some changes in the past few years. Let’s see how these work out and postpone adding more standardization.

JD Solomon is an avid fisherman and sailor when he’s not following baseball and hockey.

--

--