World Series game times tick up in pitch clock's 2nd year

NEW YORK -- Nine-inning games in the World Series averaged 3 hours, 19 minutes in the second year of the pitch clock, up from 3:01 in 2023.

The Series average was 3:24 in 2022 and 3:38 in 2021, the last season before the PitchCom electronic pitch-calling device. The 2023 average was the fastest since 1996.

Mid-inning pitching changes increased to 5.2 from 3.8 in 2023 and 2.5 in 2022. World Series runs per game rose to 10.0 from 9.3 in 2023 and 5.8 in 2022. Pitches increased to 315 from 298, the highest total since 2018.

The overall postseason game average remained at 3:02, down from 3:23 in 2022 and 3:37 in 2021.

This season's regular-season average of 2:36 declined four minutes from 2023 and 28 minutes from 2022. It had not been this low since 1984's 2:35.

MLB shortened the pitch clock with runners on base by two seconds to 18 ahead of the 2024 season while keeping it at 15 seconds without runners on base.