
Here's How ESPN's MLB Production Team Is Adapting to the New Pitch Clock Rule changes spur broadcasters to modify their approach to baseball coverage By Jason Dachman, Chief Editor
Monday, March 20, 2023 - 2:31 pm
Print This Story | Subscribe
Story Highlights
The first pitch of the 2023 MLB season has yet to be thrown, but much has already been made of the new pitch clock. Although the new rule - one of several intended to improve the pace of play this season - has forced pitchers and hitters to dramatically rethink their routines, broadcasters like ESPN are having to alter their approach to covering the game.
Whenever there are big rule changes like this, every [broadcaster] has to address and deal with documenting the action as the primary goal and using your discretionary time to the best of your ability, says ESPN VP, Production, Phil Orlins. Obviously, it feels like a dominant storyline during Spring Training, and I think it's going to feel like an important storyline the first couple of weeks of the season. But I do think it's going to naturally ebb and flow to where it becomes more routine as time goes on - for [broadcasters], players, and fans.
Orlins has a basis for the claim: the pitch clock was tested in the minor leagues last season, and violations dropped dramatically as players got more accustomed to the rule. Nonetheless, as the age of the pitch clock begins, production teams and announcers have had to fundamentally change the way they present the game to fans.
How the Pitch Timer Works As a result of the 30-second pitch timer between batters - along with the elimination of defensive shifts and addition of enlarged bases - games that previously pushed well past the three-hour mark are taking 2 hours or less during Spring Training.
According to the official MLB rulebook, between pitches, a 15-second timer will be in place with the bases empty and a 20-second timer with runners on base. The pitcher must begin his motion to deliver the pitch before the expiration of the pitch timer. Pitchers who violate the timer are charged with an automatic ball. Batters who violate it are charged with an automatic strike. Batters must be in the box and alert to the pitcher by the 8-second mark or be charged with an automatic strike.
MLB is instituting a 30-second pitch timer this season.
With runners on base, the timer resets if the pitcher attempts a pickoff or steps off the rubber. Pitchers are limited to two disengagements (pickoff attempts or step-offs) per plate appearance, but the limit is reset if a runner or runners advance. In the event of a third, unsuccessful pickoff attempt, the runner automatically advances one base.
Learning Curve During Spring Training The most important issue for broadcasters is how to present the pitch clock on-screen. Although most agree that it should be integrated into the miniboard (or scorebug) graphic, the debate continues on when: whether it should appear only during key moments (for example, 10 seconds left) or for the entire 30 seconds.
During Spring Training, many broadcasters were not given access to the pitch-clock data until seven seconds were left on the clock. As a result, many have opted to integrate the old-school camera shot of the clock (reminiscent of the NBA's shot clock half a century ago) into the miniboard graphic. During Spring Training coverage, ESPN puts the camera shot of the pitch clock just to the right of the miniboard graphic.
The way our miniboard lays out with a horizontal rectangle layout, notes Orlins, it happened to be easy to align the old-school camera shot alongside the miniboard and still work within our established space. It was definitely good to Get some Spring Training in [with the pitch clock], but, that said, we expect to get to the API-triggered data version in the miniboard on Opening Night and integrated into that same amount of space where we did the camera shot.
We're confident, he continues, that we're going to get access to the API for the pitch clock much earlier [in the at-bat] by Opening Night. We're in discussions on that right now. I think it's absolutely mandatory that we have it [displayed] before eight seconds since the batter has to be in the box and engaged at that point and probably well before that.
The Scorebug Impact During the regular season, ESPN plans to integrate the pitch clock into the scorebug alongside a pitch total along the bottom right of the miniboard and will incorporate additional graphical alerts as the clock gets closer to zero to indicate a pitcher or batter violation (see video example below).
I've never believed that constantly taking things in and out [of the miniboard] to make it more subtle was less intrusive to the viewer, says Orlins. For the most part, we are going to just leave [the pitch clock] there and let it roll so everyone can see it. When the viewer wants to find it, they'll find it; when they don't, it will be far less jarring than constantly bringing it in and out. If people see the clock count from 30 with the next hitter coming up, that's just fine. It's more comfortable and constantly available - just like the experience [for fans] at the ballpark.
Impact on the Front Bench Although the miniboard aspect is most apparent on-screen, the pitch clock's existential challenge to baseball coverage is at the front bench and in the announcers booth. The average time between batted-ball events in the middle of the 20th century was roughly 2 minutes, but today's directors, producers, and playcallers have typically had nearly four minutes on average between key moments.
Says Orlins, It's very similar to football, where [broadcasters] had a rhythm based on huddles after every play and then, inside the final two minutes, teams start going into hurry-up o
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
07/10/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
07/08/2026
Diversified has appointed industry veteran Pete Emminger as global chief technology officer. Emminger will lead the company's global go-to-market technology...
07/08/2026
O'Shea Jackson Jr., Dave Franco, and Mason Thames appear in Idiots by Macon Blair, an official selection of the 2026 Sundance Film Festival. (Courtesy of ...
07/08/2026
An instrument made for the adventurous composer
Described as an instrument made for the adventurous composer , Sonuscore's latest sample library has b...
07/08/2026
Latest solo Synchron libraries arrive
VSL have just released the final two instalments in their range of muted solo string libraries. Recorded in the large ...
07/08/2026
Channel strip offers plug-in control & recall
Along with some new additions to their Inherit modular preamp system, GC Audio's announcements for NAMM 20...
07/08/2026
Opening Statement: Public hearing of the Inquiry into Racism, Hate and Violence ...
07/08/2026
DoubleVerify Shareholders to Receive $13.60 Per Share in Cash, Representing a 30...
07/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
07/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
07/08/2026
The Award Recognizes ACT's Outstanding Sales Performance, Marketing Collaboration and Long-standing Commitment to the NEUTRIK Brand
ACT Entertainment, one ...
07/08/2026
Beamr Imaging Ltd. (Nasdaq: BMR), a leader in video optimization technology and solutions, today announced it is bringing AI upscaling to live sports, broadcast...
07/08/2026
Berklee City Music Presents Nine Scholarships and Awards at Annual Concert Student recipients from seven states and Canada received scholarships, housing awar...
07/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
07/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
07/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
07/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
07/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
07/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
07/08/2026
Riedel Communications at IBC2026: Live Production Experience Showcasing Integrated IP Production Workflows
At IBC2026, Riedel Communications will bring modern ...
07/08/2026
Shotoku Showcases Expanding Aura PTZ Ecosystem and Award-Winning Swoop Robotic Crane at IBC2026
Shotoku Broadcast Systems will officially introduce its Aura fa...
07/08/2026
Highlights will include new Dante fiber connectivity, expanded IPMX capabilities and award-winning signal processing solutions
Cobalt Digital, the leading des...
07/08/2026
Bob Moses Concert at Red Rocks Captured with URSA Cine 12K LF
Brie Clayton August 6, 2026
0 Comments
PYXIS 12K and URSA Cine 12K LF enable cinematic c...
07/08/2026
Use It or Else Is Not an AI Implementation Strategy
Andy Marken August 6, 2026
0 Comments
Source - Hitchhikers Guide to the Universe, Touchstone Pi...
07/08/2026
Friday 7 August 2026
Heated Rivalry will return to Sky and NOW in Spring 2027 e...
07/08/2026
Migration of more than 1,000 radio services delivers improved resilience, efficiency and sustainability
07 August 2026, Winchester, UK Arqiva, the UK's l...
07/08/2026
On 6 August, the European Commission and the SpaceRISE consortium concluded nego...
07/08/2026
The Traitors Ireland Uncloaked is also back with all the behind the scenes drama...
06/08/2026
The broadcaster's 14-race schedule begins in Iowa and ends in November with ...
06/08/2026
In-venue and creative video staffers at the professional and collegiate level ha...
06/08/2026
As media organizations consolidate teams, technology platforms, and content libr...
06/08/2026
Firmware updates introduce Dolby's next-generation picture engine, content-aware optimization, and new motion and ambient-light tools...
06/08/2026
TNT Sports will have wall-to-wall coverage of the upcoming FIBA Women's Bask...
06/08/2026
swXtch.io (Stand 5.MR13) has unveiled groundSwXtch for Audio over IP (AoIP), a software application that lets broadcasters and media organizations move audio in...
06/08/2026
At IBC2026, Riedel Communications (Stands: 10.A24, 10.A31, 10.A38) will bring modern media production to life with the Live Production Experience - a connected ...
06/08/2026
The first live-sports director to receive the prestigious honor, eight-time Emmy...
06/08/2026
NBC Sports will continue to present the Preakness Stakes on NBC and Peacock thro...
06/08/2026
Cobalt Digital (Stand 8.F90) continues to reinforce its commitment to delivering...
06/08/2026
Wave Central has promoted promotion Jeff Daubert to Director of Sales, Americas.
In his expanded role, Daubert will lead Wave Central's sales strategy and ...
06/08/2026
KMH Integration is expanding its ability to serve media, broadcast, and IT organizations by adding Keith Hanadel, an accomplished architect with decades of indu...
06/08/2026
Advanced Systems Group (ASG) has promoted Michele Ferreira from Vice President of its Systems Integration team to the newly created position of Chief Business O...
06/08/2026
Demonstrations will include new JPEG XS, Dolby audio, cloud-gateway, stream-processing, and distribution capabilities...
06/08/2026
The deal includes three premium mobile units, engineering personnel, existing br...
06/08/2026
Broadcast Management Group produced Amazon Prime's inaugural Obsessed Fest a...
06/08/2026
Exhibit will feature new variable-ND functionality, OLED viewfinders, remote-camera tools, and UHD production monitors...
06/08/2026
Compact full-frame E-mount lens targets sports, wildlife, and other long-range shooting applications...
06/08/2026
Live broadcast will honor Roger Federer and Mary Carillo on Aug. 29, with onsite...
06/08/2026
End-zone board receives higher-resolution LED technology and an updated Show Control system ahead of the 2026 football season...