Phoenix – Commissioner Rob Manfred held a press conference on Tuesday as part of Spring Training Media Day in Arizona, and he discussed several pressing topics for MLB to enter the 2025 season. Manfred accepted the huge enthusiasm for the upcoming Tokyo series between doors and cubs and continued the continuous globalization of the game before fielding questions from reporters for about 30 minutes.
Here are the biggest takeaways from the session of the commissioner:
Doesers are not the problem, but Manfred knows that some fans are upset with the current situation of the game
Manfred was asked by several repetitions of questions about the Doseers’ sky-high payroll and roster filled with superstars-and do they have a negative impact on the game. Manfred was adamant that the doseers have operated within the rules and are not scattered in this way; Rather, he blames with the boundaries of the structure in which they work.
“If I am going to criticize something for something, it is not going to be the doseers,” he said. “This system is going to be.”
More widely, Manfred discussed the concept of competitive balance and how it can still be maintained in a league that has such extreme payroll inequality. Accepting that there are several ways to measure a level playground, Manfred reported that it is not especially about the objective balance of on-field success in the league; It is also about how fans are likely to be competitive of their team. He especially cited the free agency as an aspect of the game that could have a significant impact on the fan morale.
“Perhaps it is as important as any of them is the notion of the fan in the market. You sign a free agent … you don’t know what you are going to do on the field. He can make you better or not, ”said Manfred. “But during the least winter time, it produces a certain enthusiasm that is good for your market. It expands the notion that you are trying, and it is also important for business. ,
It would appear to have an indirect acknowledgment that enough teams are not demonstrating the desire to spend during winter, in turn, sourceing fans to compete on the ambitions of their teams. The most recently with just a handful of teams for a vast part of the expense in free agency, it is probably less about teams like Dojers, which are signing many of the top free agents and more and more Other teams are also upset to detect the market, limiting the optimism of fans during the season.
Do not expect public announcements about the next CBA
Whether it is about the bottleneck on payroll inequality or other issues related to the economic structure of baseball, the end of the current collective bargaining agreement on 1 December 2026, the biggest challenge as the biggest challenge during the tenure of Manfred In the form of Commissioner (he intends to step down. Below in 2029). It is widely expected that another lockout will be as part of the talks in the winter of 2026-27, but only one thing that really matters will be the ability of League and Players Association which to make a deal on time To avoid a deal, it makes a deal to avoid regular-seasons. game.
For now, however, the commissioner is uninterrupted in publicly declare the position of the league, not yet the place before the CBA ends with two full sessions.
He said, “I am not going to speculate about what we are going to propose, we are going to try to interact with MLBPA – we are a year away,” he said. “I am appreciative to give it a chance to level the owners around a bargaining approach.”
While the league managed to miss any game last time, it is clear that there was a tedious process for both of them which had been locked out during the 2021-22 offsen and had gone for more than three months. The fans were directly involved and fans were watching it from outside.
For example, it is clear that Manfred would prefer not to jump in front of such discourse before it is absolutely necessary.
“Quite clearly, I favor my fans for not getting all this quickly,” he said. “I mean, it’s quite bad when you are doing it and bargaining and everyone is worried about it. We are not there yet.”
Rules change are favorably received
Beyond the third season, ahead of the third season, the rules and defensive innings ban, Manfred talked about how these rules and the resulting style of baseball have been obtained by large clubs . It is clear that the changes have been achieved well by the fans – Manfred said that the League has increased the projects to increase the appearance for the third consecutive season, something that has not happened in decades – but just equally important As much as the infection has been for the players and the coaches assigned the task of working under the new guidelines.
Manfred said, “The teams have made more positive about rules changes as much as I thought they would be.” The athleticism that was looking for fans. ,
More encouraging for Manfred and League office is the degree for which the effect of change of rule in the major has reflected the effects seen in minors.
“I think the most surprising-and pleasant so-and, I think, is important for a long period, because due to the process that went into the minor league, the results we got at the big level level , They were really close to people in our baseball operating group, “he said.” And I think it is important for the future, because it assures people that you can make a change, Can predict What is going to happen and can get the result you are looking for. And like any institution, we need to continue to move forward. ,
ABS challenge system will be tested in spring training
With the success of recent new rules, MLB continues to detect ways to increase the on-field product for both players and fans. One of the more major items under consideration in recent years has been a automatic strike zone. This will involve removal – or at least subtract – the responsibility of calling balls and strikes from the umpires and relying on the tracking technique to determine one of the main principles of the game.
After several rounds of experiments at various minor levels, MLB has decided to proceed with further testing that incorporates ABS (automated ball strike) challenge system. Depending on the response from fans and clubs who experience ABS in minors, it was determined that all balls and strikes are less interested in nominating automatically and technology as a vehicle to correct a vehicle Priority of using – or confirmation – a selected number – at the discretion of players on a select number ground, call during a game.
At the conclusion of Tuesday’s Media Day in Phoenix, Morgan Talwar, Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations for MLB, made a presentation about the league plans to test it during the major League Spring Training Games this year, a presentation on it. . ,
Under this system, teams are given two challenges per game, although if their challenges are successful then they maintain them. Only batsmen, pitcher and catcher are allowed to challenge the ball/strike call, and they have to do so immediately after receiving a pitch. The challenges from the dugout or other places are prohibited, and if a player takes a very long time to indicate the challenge, the umpire may deny the request.
When a player indicates a challenge, the umpire starts review, and the result of overlade of the pitch on the electronic strike zone will be displayed on the videboard in the stadium and on broadcast, if applicable. The Hawki tracking technique allows the ball and strike calls to be exceptionally checked quickly. Last year’s challenges in Triple-A took 17 seconds, on average, calls from the time of the pitch have been confirmed or overturned, and MLB believes that the technology improves can be cut as time. Is. The exact dimensions of the strike zone are determined by the size of the batsman and are adjusted from the AT-bats to the AT-bats; The top of the zone is set at 53.5% of the batsman’s height and below 27%. MLB is currently in the process of obtaining official measurements for all players in the Big-League camp, something necessary for this system to apply appropriate and accurately.
As we will see ABS in action in this spring, it is slightly scattered because not every spring training is equipped with proper tracking technology. Nevertheless, every team will have to experience the system to some extent during spring.
These are ballparks that will host the sports involving the challenge system in this spring:
Cactus League:
Surprise Stadium (Rangers/Royals)
Poreia Sports Complex (Meriners/Padress)
Cameback Reng (Dojers/White Sox)
Goodyer Ballpark (Reds/Guardian)
Salt River Fields (D-Back/Rocky)
Grapefruit League:
Backare Ballpark (Phillies)
George M. Steinbrener Field (Yankis)
Clover Park (Mets)
Hammond Stadium (twins)
Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium (Marlins/Cardinals)
TD Ballpark (Blue Jais)
Lex (pirates)
Publix field (tiger)
The result is that some teams will play more than 25 games using ABS (Diamondback will play the most on 29), and play less than 15 (cubs will play only seven). Overall, more than 60% of ABS Challenge System of 2025 Spring Training Games will be facilitated.
So if everything floats in this spring, and everyone explains what the challenge system brings to the game, can we see it the upcoming regular season? No, not in 2025, Talwar said. The 2026 season is the first to see the ABS Challenge System applied at the major League level, but even far from the guarantee at this level.
However, the challenge system will be completely perfectly at Triple-A level in 2025, which should provide the league with more insight into professionals and opposition to rely on this technique and how it will affect the on-field product. At least, this year spring training will serve as a valuable test run for an array of fans and players, which can be another monumental change for the game – and perhaps one more to be successful on it. Will start feeling to feel.
