HOUSTON, TX - MARCH 27: Fans watch as the pitch clock is set to 18 seconds during the game between the New York Mets and the Houston Astros at Daikin Park on Thursday, March 27, 2025 in Houston, Texas.

MLB's average game time up 2 minutes in 3rd year of pitch clock

The Associated Press
8 months ago
Kevin M. Cox / Major League Baseball / Getty

NEW YORK (AP) — The average time of a nine-inning major league baseball game increased by 2 minutes this season to 2:38 in the third year of the pitch clock.

MLB's average fell from 3:04 in 2022 to 2:40 the following year when the clock was instituted and decreased to 2:36 in 2024, its lowest since 1984's 2:35.

The average game time passed 3 hours for the first time in 2016. It reached a record 3:10 in 2021 before the introduction of the PitchCom electronic pitch-calling device helped bring it down to 3:04 in 2022.

Three nine-inning games lasted 3:30 or longer this year, down from 391 such games in 2021.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

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