KBO to take 2 ticks off pitch clock in 2026

The Korean baseball league announced Friday it will take two seconds off the pitch clock next season, in a continued attempt to speed up the game. The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) said starting in the new season, pitchers must start their delivery within 18 seconds with the bases empty and 23 seconds with runners on. Pitchers had 20 seconds to work with when the bases were empty and 25 seconds with at least a man aboard in 2025, the first season with the pitch clock in operation. The pitch clock had the desired effect of reducing the game time. In 2025, a nine-inning game took three hours and two minutes, eight minutes faster than 2024 and the lowest mark since 2000. The KBO has not gone under three hours in average game time since 1998. Major League Baseball introduced the pitch clock in 2023. It first gave pitchers 15 seconds with the bases empty and 20 seconds with runners on. The timer was reduced to 18 seconds with runners on base starting in 2024.