Report: MLB looking at 20-second pitch clock for 2018

The topic of pace of play, and how to improve it, has been bouncing around Major League Baseball for some time. Entering 2017, a minor rule change was implemented allowing teams to intentionally walk batters without throwing the formerly-required pitches, among a few other alterations.

Now, MLB may be inching toward some more drastic measures. The league wants to introduce a 20-second pitch clock when no runners are on base, sources tell ESPN's Buster Olney.

It's the same time limit that has been used in the minor leagues for the last three seasons.

Related: Rob Manfred expects pace of play changes in 2018

If the rule is adopted, it will necessitate a change for the majority of MLB hurlers. Among all pitchers who threw at least 50 innings in 2017, only five averaged under 20 seconds between pitches, and no qualified starter came in below that threshold. The closest was St. Louis Cardinals right-hander Carlos Martinez at 20.1 seconds.

Exactly how this would be enforced remains to be seen, though MLB is hoping it can come to an agreement with the players' union over the winter. With games averaging more than three hours in the regular season and 3.5 hours in the postseason, a change seems inevitable.