[spiesd]

I wouldn't say they're "so much longer" now (since the pitch clock was implemented, that is). This year, 9 inning games averaged 2:38. In 1960, they ran 2:33. There are lots of factors that contribute to longer gametime. A couple that correlate with the general trend for longer:

  - pitchers/game: 2025: 4.29, 1960: 2.45
  - strikeouts/game: 2025: 8.36, 1960: 5.18

Commercial breaks are currently limited to 2 minutes by rule, and it takes some time just to run on and off the field, so I am dubious of the impact of that. (Though the rule has changed, and I forget whether there were an additional 20 minutes because of that back in the 1990s/2000s.)

That said, unless it were a stellar pitching duel, I'd really despise constant sub-2 hour games.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/majors/misc.shtml

https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/majors/bat.shtml

https://www.mlb.com/glossary/rules/warmup-pitches

[mkovach]

Yes, the pitch clock and the relievers' requirement to face at least three batters in an inning have done a very good job of handling game times.

At some point, as the game continues to evolve, I think we'll see an upward swing in game times in the future, but I don't believe it will trend as high as it has before. I think that sub-three-hour games will remain the sweet spot going forward.

Now, for sub-two-hour games, this is one I wish I could watch and re-watch

https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1908/B10020CLE1908.htm

In the middle of a pennant race, Addie Joss pitched a 74-pitch perfect game against Ed Walsh, who had already won 39 games that year. The game kept Cleveland in the running for the pennant. Game time? 1:40 minutes. The minimum number of batters for a nine-inning game is 54, this game had 56.

[jamesmontalvo3]

Wouldn’t the minimum be 51? 932 =54, but if the team batting second is winning after the top of the 9th then they don’t need to play the bottom of the ninth, so subtract 3? Not a baseball person.

[xhkkffbf]

I thought the same thing.

And if you have rain , they can call the game "complete" if the losing team had 5 half innings at bat. So that could be 28. Assume 27 outs and one home run by the home team.

[mkovach]

Not for no-hitters, perfect games. The pitcher has to complete nine innings.

[mkovach]

You are correct. I should have clarified that for this game, Cleveland was visiting Chicago, so they got to bat in the ninth.