LOS ANGELES :Pedro Martinez credited the emergence of generational talents like Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge, as well a faster pace of play, for the recent surge in baseball's popularity but the Hall of Fame pitcher says a labor showdown could stall that momentum.
Major League Baseball implemented a raft of rule changes in 2023 after seeing attendances and ratings wane, introducing a pitch clock and expanding the role of video replays.
Attendances at games rose for a third consecutive season in 2025 while televised national and local games, as well as games in Japan, all saw viewership increase, according to MLB and broadcasters.
"The quality of players, the quality you play, I have to give MLB a lot of credit," Martinez told Reuters.
"And they're stepping up to improve it even more."
PITCHERS ON THE CLOCK
The three-time Cy Young Award winner said he wished the pitch clock had been around when he was playing, and also praised the expanded video replays, calling the changes "big steps" that had improved the product.
Martinez backed the automated ball-strike challenge system, which is set to go into effect next season, but while he supported ideas that improved quality he was worried that it might take the human element out of the game.
"I would hate to see some umpires lose their jobs," he said, adding he is "all about improving the quality of the game."
Baseball will make its return to Olympic stage at the Los Angeles Games in 2028 and Martinez called on MLB to continue its push into international markets.
"We have seen a huge growth with the international players coming over," he said, noting how bringing in players from different countries has energized fans.
"MLB needs to continue to explore different areas of the world."
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