Aviators to play with new technology, experimental rules this season

Aviators games will be played with a few different rules this season after MLB announced Monday several experimental changes for the minor league season.

Beginning May 17, Triple-A West umpires will utilize the Automated Ball-Strike system to call balls and strikes. This technology was used in lower levels in 2019 and 2021. Umpires will call balls and strikes through May 15.

“This technology is part of sports,” Aviators president Don Logan said. “If (the ABS) works the way they hope it works, you really won’t notice much of a difference.”

The ABS will utilize the Hawk-Eye system with cameras all around the stadium to help call balls and strikes. Logan said this move will help eliminate ambiguity with the strike zone.

Also changing is the size of bases, which will increase from 15 inches square to 18 inches square for all full-season affiliates. Larger bases were used in Triple-A last season. The change is aimed to help reduce base-related injuries.

To help increase pace of play, all full-season affiliates will have a pitch timer requiring batters to be ready to hit and pitchers to deliver the ball within a set time, which has not been determined. The pitch timer has been in effect in Triple-A baseball since 2015.

The moves are aimed to help reduce game time, reduce player injuries and create more action on the field. Logan said he favors the moves and likes that there was input from players and managers.

“It’s part of the way sports is going,” Logan said. “We would be worse off as an industry if we didn’t continue to improve and try to embrace new ideas.”

Contact Alex Wright at awright@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AlexWright1028 on Twitter.