The Indianapolis Indians‘ home game tonight at Victory Field will feature Minor League Baseball’s first-ever enforcement of automatic balls and strikes from the new pitch clocks during the regular season.
Any pitcher or batter in violation of the pitch-clock rules will be assessed an automatic ball or strike, depending on the offending party and regardless of the current count of the at-bat. This enforcement creates the unprecedented situation in which the umpires will have the authority of awarding either a strikeout or walk without an actual pitch being thrown from a pitcher (Prior to May 1, players in violation were only issued warnings).