Average Length Of MLB Game Since 2010
Average Length Of MLB Game – The average Length Of MLB Game varies along with the seasons. The duration of a major league game in the year 2023 has been decreased to 2 hours and 40 minutes.
Every inning of baseball is divided into two parts. In the first, batting is offered to the away team, whereas in the second, vice-versa.
In order to switch play, the fielding side is required to make three outs. When it is achieved by both the teams, the innings are considered to be over, and it will continue till nine innings.
If the manager goes into the diamond in order to either replace a player or talk to his players, the only way the play can be stopped. Apart from this, there are no halftime or timeout breaks in other sports games.
Length of MLB Game since 2010
The average length of MLB games varies every year. The average length of season 2021 was 3 hours and 11 minutes, the longest in the history of MLB.
In the early 1900s, a baseball match finished within 2 hours. The first time in a season when the duration went more than 2 hours was in 1934, during the 20th century.
The mean duration from 2010 to 2021 of a match is as follows–
#1 2010
The mean time during the season of 2010 was 2 hours 54 minutes. During this year, a total of 2,430 tournaments were initiated. If we exclude the matches of 220 extra innings, then 4 minutes less was the average of a 9-inning game. During that year, over 2300 home runs were made.
#2 2011
The mean time during the season of 2011 was extended by 2 minutes, that is, 2 hours and 56 minutes. A total number of 2,429 tournaments were initiated, including matches of 237 extra innings.
#3 2012
The mean time during the season of 2012 reached 3 hours for the second time in the history of MLB. But, the duration of the 9-inning match was 2 hours and 55 minutes, that is, 5 minutes less than the length of the match. A total of 2,430 tournaments were initiated during this year.
#4 2013
The mean length during the season of 2013 increased by 4 minutes; however, the mean duration did not even reach the 3-hour mark. A total of 2,431 tournaments were initiated during this year, out of which 242 extra inning matches were record-breaking.
#5 2014
The mean time during the season of 2014 rose for the fourth time, reaching 3 hours and 7 minutes. This was the first season ever when the 9-inning matches’ mean length was over 3 hours.
#6 2015
During 2015, the mean length was reduced for a match, that is, a 7-minute reduction in the mean duration to complete a match. The duration of a 9-inning match was decreased from 3 hours to 2 hours and 56 minutes.
#7 2016
As mentioned above, the duration decreased during the previous year, but the trend could not be able to continue. The mean duration again increased to 3 hours and 4 minutes. The average duration of the 9-inning match also touched the three-hour mark.
#8 2017
In the mean length of the season 2017, there was an increase of 4 minutes as compared to the previous year’s duration. In the 9-inning match also, the duration increased by 5 minutes. A total of 2,430 tournaments were played, including 182, which reached extra innings.
#9 2018
In the 2018 season, the mean duration was decreased by 4 minutes in the average match and by 5 minutes in the average 9-inning match, respectively. A total of 2,431 tournaments were initiated, out of which 9% reached extra innings.
#10 2019
The mean time during the season of 2019 was 3 hours and 10 minutes. The duration of the 9-inning match was 5 minutes less as compared to that of the match. A total of 2,429 tournaments were initiated, including 208 extra innings.
#11 2020
The mean duration of the 2020 season was 3 hours and 6 minutes. But, the size is low as compared to all the other years. Because of the pandemic, only 898 tournaments were initiated; this year marked the first time when the length of a 9-inning match was significantly higher as compared to the overall average. The difference was 1 minute.
#12 2021
After the pandemic, this entire season marked an increase in the average duration by 5 minutes. The intermediate runs scored 9.06 at 74.8 plate appearances in 2021.
Game Length in 2023
The game duration of the season of 2023 is 2 hours and 38 minutes. This was all because of the new pitch clock rule that was implemented by MLB. Each year, the duration of the match was increasing, whereas the last 11 years marked an average match duration of above 3 hours. This was the moment when Rob Manfred, MLB Commissioner, decided to enter.
For the last quarters, MLB has tried out a system of pitch clocks in the minor league. It was pretty successful within the system of the lower league.
The same system applied to major leagues also, from the beginning of the season of 2023. Therefore, the average match duration was decreased by 26 minutes.
Since 1981, this was the first time the length has been so short. The new system has implemented a 15-sec timer between pitchers having empty bases, a 30-sec timer for batters and a 20-sec between runners on bases.
If, within 8 seconds, the batter doesn’t reach the box, the clock is considered to be violated, and a strike will be charged to the batter. If a pitcher is unable to throw the ball in his time frame, a ball within the count will be charged to the pitcher.
Game Length in 2022
The mean duration in the season of 2022 was 3 hours and 6 minutes, which was low as compared to the previous year but still touched the 3-hour mark. The average duration of a 9-inning tournament was 3 minutes less as compared to that of the match. This marked the 11 straight years where the average was over 3 hours.
It is high when compared with the present year. The vast difference in these two years is because of the latest pitch rule that was implemented at the beginning of the season of 2023.
This new rule has enlarged the average of batting and stolen bases, as there are clear hints when comparing the 2022 and 2023 seasons.
During this year, 196 attempts were successful out of 241 steal attempts. The rate was 81 percent, which was 16 percent higher when compared to the previous year, the highest in the history of MLB.
We must say that all factors of the tournament have slightly increased, including home runs, slugging percentage, RBIs, hits and runs scored per match, making the game much more exciting.
