Major League Baseball has introduced several new rule changes in recent years, including a pitch clock, shift restrictions and larger bases.
This season will bring about the biggest change with the implementation of the Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) challenge system on a full-time basis.
While that will garner the most attention, smaller rule changes also figure to impact the league in 2026.
MLB team owners recently voted to enforce a rule that is designed to curb pitch tipping, via Jesse Rogers of ESPN:
Base coaches in Major League Baseball will have to remain in their respective coaches’ boxes until the pitch is thrown after owners voted to enforce the rule Thursday at their annual meetings in Florida.
The goal is to curb coaches’ ability to ascertain what pitch is coming via pitch tipping — a practice that has become more prevalent over the past few years.
First- and third-base coaches are prohibited from leaving their respective boxes until the ball is in play or caught by the catcher, but this rule was largely ignored over the past few seasons.
More coaches began to move up and down as a way to determine which pitch was coming next, and then would relay the information to the hitter through signs:
The issue came up because first- and third-base coaches have been moving up and down the line more frequently to facilitate better viewing angles of pitchers, according to sources familiar with the situation.
Teams look for any advantage they can get, and stealing signs from the catcher has always been the most common way to do so.
However, the widespread use of PitchCom has made it much more difficult to figure out what the pitcher is going to throw, so coaches tried making up for that by moving farther down the line to get a better look at the catcher.
The issue was put in the spotlight during Game 7 of the 2025 World Series, when both the Los Angeles Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays were asked to keep their coaches in the boxes.
MLB coaches could be ejected for violating rule
Any coach who leaves their box early this season will first get a warning, and repeat offenses could result in a potential ejection.
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