The 2023 MLB season is on the horizon, and as the Giants prepare for a bounce-back campaign, they’ll need to do so with new rules in place.
Changes this season include a pitch timer, limits on defensive shifts and bigger bases. As a result, Giants skipper Gabe Kapler already has begun implementing these rules with his coaching staff.
“We’ve been coaching it up already. We’ve been talking about it in Zoom meetings with our coaches, and then ultimately with our players,” Kapler said Thursday on KNBR 680’s “Tolbert & Copes.”
Kapler explained what the new rules will mean for his players and how some might need time to adapt. Additionally, the San Francisco manager wants his players to be open with questions and practice to develop a routine for when games begin to count.
“So, a lot of changes coming,” Kapler continued. “The way to be out in front of it is to practice as early as you possibly can and talk about it as much as you can, encourage the players that there are no stupid questions, encourage the staff that these are new for us as well.
“We’re going to be talking to the umpires frequently and asking for clarification on rules. We want to be right on top of that, so our entire staff is involved.”
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Spring training will consist of a lot of trial and error for MLB players as many will have to adjust to the new rules and how baseball will be played in the majors for the foreseeable future.