MLB implements first-ever position-specific cap
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
MLB rosters were reduced from 28 to 26 players on Monday, and no more than 14 can be pitchers, marking the first position-specific cap in league history.
Why it matters: There's no stopping the technological advancements that have made pitchers better than ever, but this limit should at least mitigate their dominance, which has yielded historically low offense.
State of play: In April, league-wide batting average (.231) was its lowest since 1968, while slugging percentage (.369) and runs scored per nine innings (4.12) were their lowest since 1992, per The Ringer.
- Starting pitchers have faced opposing hitters for at least a third time in a game in a record-low 15.3% of plate appearances through Sunday, indicative of managers' militant use of analytics, which tells them when starters will be least effective.
- Batters are hitting .273 in their third (or more) appearance against a starter this season, compared to .232 in their first two appearances. A pitcher cap will force managers to leave them on the mound longer.
- On May 30, the 14-pitcher cap will be reduced to 13, and there have been reports of further reductions to 12 or even 11 in the future.
The bottom line: MLB hopes fewer pitchers leads to more offense, while also limiting the barrage of pitching changes that slow the game down.
