MLB average game time up nearly 4 minutes to 2:42, partly because of robot umpires

NEW YORK (AP) — The average time of a nine-inning Major League Baseball game increased by 3 minutes, 43 seconds this season to 2 hours, 42 minutes following the introduction of robot umpires.

MLB said Monday that 61 seconds of this year's increase was attributed to the Automated Ball-Strike Challenge System, which allows batters, catchers and pitchers to appeal umpire ball/strike decisions to a computer.

MLB’s average fell from 3:04 in 2022 to 2:40 the following year when the pitch clock was instituted and decreased to 2:36 in 2024, its lowest since 1984’s 2:35. It rose to 2:38 last year.

The average game time passed three hours for the first time in 2016. It reached a record 3:10 in 2021 before the introduction of the PitchCom electronic pitch-calling device helped bring it down to 3:04 in 2022.

___

See AP’s full MLB coverage here

More like this:

Guardians name Parker Messick starter for ALDS Game 1 vs. White Sox, Gavin Williams for Game 2

6 days ago

Down 2-0 to Rays in ALDS, Yankees face prospect of 17th season without World Series title

Yesterday

Guardians' bats go cold again, wasting Gavin Williams' 11 strikeouts in Game 2 loss

2 days ago

Misiorowski lasts just 4 innings in NLDS opener before bullpen leads Brewers to 3-2 win over Padres

4 days ago

Having bashed Boston without Judge, Yankees turn attention to AL Division Series vs. pesky Rays

6 days ago