2023 Major League Baseball season

Schedule

Rule changes

• A pitch clock was introduced, with these requirements:
• *A standardized period of 30 seconds between batters within each half-inning.
• *A timer between pitches of 15 seconds with the bases empty, and 20 seconds with at least one runner on base.
• *The pitcher must start his motion before the expiration of the pitch clock. A violation will result in an automatic ball.
• *The batter must be in the box and alert to the pitcher with no less than eight seconds remaining. A violation will result in an automatic strike.
• During the season, the MLB clarified several rules regarding pitch clocks on pitchers and batters:
• *A pitcher no longer may come set prior to the batter becoming alert in the box; umpires are to issue warnings and then automatic ball if the pitcher violates. This comes after Max Scherzer of the New York Mets uses the pitch clock to throw off the timing of Washington Nationals batters.
• *A batter is no longer allowed to bait pitchers into quick pitch violations by engaging with the pitcher, gets into a hitting position, and has one or both feet out of the box while the pitcher is coming set come set prior to the batter becoming alert in the box; umpires are to issue warnings and then automatic strikes if the batter violates. This comes after Willson Contreras of the St. Louis Cardinals earned three automatic balls and a walk for these types of acts against Kenley Jansen of the Boston Red Sox.
• *With runners on base, the timer resets if the pitcher attempts a pickoff or steps off the rubber.
• *Only two disengagements are allowed per plate appearance; however, this count resets if a baserunner advances. Mound visits, injury timeouts, and offensive team timeouts do not count against this.
• *If a third disengagement results in anything other than a successful pickoff attempt, it is treated as a balk and all runners advance one base.
• *If a team has used up all of its allowed five mound visits by the ninth inning, it receives an extra visit in the ninth.
• *Umpires can provide extra time if circumstances warrant.
• Infield shifts are restricted:
• *The defensive team must have no fewer than four players in infield positions, with at least two on each side of second base.
• *All infielders must have both feet on or inside the outer edge of the marked infield while the pitcher is on the rubber.
• *Infielders cannot switch sides of the infield before a pitch is released.
• *If infielders are improperly aligned at the time of the pitch, the offensive team may choose to accept the result of the play or receive an automatic ball.
• All three bases will increase in size from 15 to 18 inches.

• In regular-season games, the WBSC softball extra innings rule is in effect, with each extra inning starting with a runner on second base. WBSC, the global governing body of baseball, implemented tiebreakers at international tournaments starting in 2008, and in MLB regular season play, was first used in the COVID-abbreviated 2020 season and again in the lockout-altered 2022 season.
• The rule that regulates when position players can pitch, was tweaked. Previously, position players were allowed to pitch when either team had a lead of at least six runs. Starting with this season:
• *The leading team can only use a position player in this role in the ninth inning and with a lead of at least 10 runs.
• *A team behind by eight or more runs can use a position player to pitch at any time in the game.
• *The use of position players as pitchers in extra innings is unrestricted, as it was under the previous rule.

  Spring training

Standings

American League

National League

Postseason

Bracket

Managerial changes

General managers

Offseason

In-season

Field managers

Offseason

In-season

League leaders

American League

National League

Milestones

Batters

• Trayce Thompson /:
• *As a member of the Dodgers, in his season debut on April 1 against the Arizona Diamondbacks, Thompson drove in eight runs. He is the first player in major league history to drive in eight or more runs in their season debut since the RBI became an official statistic in 1920.
• Anthony Volpe :
• *With Volpe's stolen base in the seventh inning against the San Francisco Giants on April 2, Volpe became the fifth player since 1901 to steal a base in each of his first three Major League games.
• Elvis Andrus :
• *Recorded his 2,000th career hit with a single in the fifth inning on April 5 against the San Francisco Giants. He became the 293rd player to reach this mark.
• Jordan Walker :
• *With a ninth-inning single on April 12 against the Colorado Rockies, Walker has now recorded a hit in each of his first 12 consecutive games to begin his big league career. He joins Eddie Murphy, who accomplished this in 1912, as the only Major League players since 1900 to accomplish this feat before their 21st birthday. Walker's streak ended on April 13 against the Pittsburgh Pirates at 12 consecutive games.
• Mike Trout :
• *With a double in the first inning against the Boston Red Sox on April 15, Trout became the fourth player in major league history to collect at least 300 career doubles, 300 career homers, and 200 stolen bases by his age-31 season. Trout joins Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez, and Willie Mays.
• Adolis García :
• *Became the fourth player in major league history to hit three home runs and two doubles in one game on April 22 against the Oakland Athletics. He joins Kris Bryant, Matt Carpenter, and Alex Dickerson to accomplish this feat.
• Josh Naylor :
• *Became the first player since at least 1961 to hit a go-ahead home run in the eighth inning or later in three consecutive games, on May 12, 13 and 14 against the Los Angeles Angels.
• Andrew McCutchen :
• *Recorded his 2,000th career hit with a single in the first inning on June 11 against the New York Mets. He became the 294th player to reach this mark.
• Ronald Acuña Jr. :
• *Became the first player in major league history to tally 30-plus stolen bases and 15-plus home runs within the first 70 games of a season with his steal on June 16 against the Colorado Rockies.
• *Became the first player in major league history to record 40-plus stolen bases, hit 20-plus homers, and record 50-plus RBIs before the All-Star break with his steal on July 3 against the Cleveland Guardians.
• *Became the first player in major league history to record 50-plus stolen bases and hit 20-plus homers before August 1 with his stolen base on July 29 against the Milwaukee Brewers.
• *Became the fourth player in major league history - joining Rickey Henderson, Joe Morgan, and Eric Davis - to record 20-plus homers and 60-plus steals in a season with his steal on August 28 against the Colorado Rockies.
• *Became the first player in major league history to record 30-plus homers and 60-plus steals in a season on August 31 with a home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
• *Became the fifth player in major league history to record 40-plus homers and 40-plus steals in a season on September 22 against the Washington Nationals. He joins Jose Canseco, Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez, and Alfonso Soriano. Acuña, with this 40th home run, became the first member of the 40-homer/50-stolen base and 40-homer/60-stolen base clubs.
• *With his second stolen base of the game on September 27 against the Chicago Cubs, Acuña reached 70 stolen bases this season. He becomes the first player to join the 40-homer/70-stolen base club.
• Freddie Freeman :
• *Recorded his 2,000th career hit with a double in the eighth inning on June 25 against the Houston Astros. He became the 295th player to reach this mark.
• Bo Naylor / Josh Naylor :
• *Became the first brothers in major league history to hit multi-run home runs in the same inning for the same team on July 14 against the Texas Rangers.
• Fernando Tatis Jr. :
• *Hit his 100th career home run on August 2 against the Colorado Rockies becoming the fourth-fastest in major league history to reach 100 home runs, by games played. Tatis took 362 games to reach this mark with only Ryan Howard, Pete Alonso, and Gary Sanchez doing it faster.
• Bobby Witt Jr. :
• *With his 20th home run of the season on August 4 against the Philadelphia Phillies, Witt Jr. became the first player in major league history with at least 20 home runs and 30 stolen bases in each of his first two big league seasons.
• Davis Schneider :
• *On August 6, Schneider became the first player in major league history to collect at least nine hits and at least two home runs over his first three big league games.
• Jose Altuve :
• *Recorded his 2,000th career hit with a single in the fifth inning on August 19 against the Seattle Mariners. He became the 296th player to reach this mark.
• Julio Rodríguez :
• *Set a Major League record for most hits in a four-game span with 17 after his four-hit performance on August 19 against the Houston Astros. Rodríguez broke the record of 16 that was set in 1925 by Milt Stock.
• *Hit his 25th home run of the season on September 4 against the Cincinnati Reds becoming the first player in major league history to register at least 25 homers and 25 steals in each of his first two seasons.
• Corbin Carroll :
• *With his 40th stolen base on August 27 against the Cincinnati Reds, Corbin became the fourth rookie in major league history to amass at least 20 home runs and 40 stolen bases in a season. He joins Tommie Agee, Mitchell Page, and Mike Trout to accomplish this feat.
• *Became the first rookie in major league history to compile 25 or more home runs and 50-plus stolen bases in a season. He accomplished this feat on September 20 against the San Francisco Giants with two stolen bases and a home run.
• Aaron Judge :
• *Hit his 250th home run in his 810th career game becoming the fastest player in major league history to hit the milestone. Judge set the record on September 1 against the Houston Astros, breaking the record that was held by Ryan Howard who accomplished this in 855 games.
• Giancarlo Stanton :
• *Recorded his 400th career home run in the sixth inning on September 5 against the Detroit Tigers. He became the 58th player, and fourth fastest in games, to reach this mark.
• Royce Lewis :
• *With his grand slam that he hit on September 15 against the Chicago White Sox, Lewis became the first player in major league history to hit five grand slams within his first 16 career home runs. Lewis also became the first player to hit four grand slams in a span of 18 games or fewer. The prior shortest span in which a player had hit four grand slams was 39 games, by Don Mattingly in 1987.
• Mookie Betts :
• *With a two-run double on September 23 against the San Francisco Giants, Betts set the Major League record for most RBIs for a leadoff hitter in a season with 105. He broke the record, of 103, which was set in 2017 by Charlie Blackmon. He finished the season with 107 RBI from the leadoff position.
• Esteury Ruiz :
• *Set the American League rookie record for most stolen bases in a season with 67. Ruiz broke the record that was set by Kenny Lofton in 1992.
• Corey Seager :
• *Became the first player to walk five times in a postseason game against the Baltimore Orioles on October 8.
• Nick Castellanos :
• *Became the first player in major league history to record consecutive multi-homer postseason games in Game 3 and Game 4 of the National League Division Series against the Atlanta Braves.
• Kyle Schwarber :
• *Hit his fourth career lead-off home run on October 16 against the Arizona Diamondbacks in Game 1 of the National League Championship Series, setting a new Major League postseason record. Schwarber broke the record of three that he shared with Derek Jeter and Jimmy Rollins.
• Ketel Marte :
• *With his double in the seventh inning in Game 7 of the National League Championship Series against the Philadelphia Phillies, Marte extended his postseason hitting streak to 16 games, making it the longest by any player to start his postseason career in major league history, breaking the record that was held by Marquis Grissom.
• *Extended his postseason hitting streak to 18 games with a two-run single in Game 2 of the World Series, setting a new Major League record. Marte was tied at 17 games with Hank Bauer, Derek Jeter, and Manny Ramírez. His streak ended in the final game of the 2023 World Series at 20 games.