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We’re now two full seasons into Major League Baseball‘s pace of play rule changes, and thus far, it’s been an overwhelming success. And it’s given baseball the momentum boost it so desperately needed on the national sporting landscape.

By 2021, roughly two thirds of all MLB games lasted more than three hours. The average game time had crept up to near three hours and 10 minutes, thanks to endless mound visits, pitching changes, step offs and hitter delays. In 2023, the percentage of games lasting more than three hours dropped to just 13 percent. 

But the league wasn’t happy with how players circumvented some of the timing rules as the season wore on, so they doubled down heading into 2024. Pitchers were given less time between pitches with runners on base, with the intention of ensuring game times stayed low. It worked. In the 2024 season, only 8 percent of games lasted more than three hours, per Codify Baseball. 

That’s a stunning success, and it’s paid off in spades with regard to fan engagement and interest.

MLb ratings

CLEVELAND – MLB commissioner Rob Manfred and All-Star game MVP Shane Bieber of the Cleveland Indians during the 2019 MLB All-Star Game at Progressive Field on July 09, 2019. (Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images)

MLB Ratings, Attendance Way Up Thanks To Shorter Games

Average game times across the sport decreased to two hours and 36 minutes, the shortest average length since 1984. Attendance hit 71.348 million, per an MLB press release, marking a 1 percent increase from 2023, and an 11 percent increase since 2022. Weekday games have jumped 13 percent since 2022, as the shorter length has made school night attendance easier for parents.

June 14-16 was the highest attended weekend of games in 16 years, and September was the most attended month in the past 11. Importantly, ratings among younger demographics also skyrocketed. 

ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball jumped 12 percent in that demographic, FS1 was up 24 percent, MLB Network was up 36 percent. And Fox moved up 9 percent for its coverage too. MLB.tv saw record viewership for its streaming product, and social media platforms saw double-digit increases in followers and engagement.

Suddenly, baseball is in a very good place. Even without the inherent benefits with regard to gambling and schedule that the NFL enjoys. 

It’s easy to take the purists’ view that the rule changes fundamentally altered the sport. But it’s clear that fans wanted the games to be shorter and feel more action packed. And they do. Even postseason games, where the average length inevitably crept back up, just feel faster. Because pitches are being delivered more quickly. 

There’s no other way to say it, it’s vindication for Rob Manfred and the competition committee. Hopefully the momentum continues into 2025.