Sources - MLB eyes pitch clocks of 14 seconds with empty bases, 19 seconds with runners on

Major League Baseball wants a 14-second pitch clock with the bases empty and a 19-second timer with runners on, according to sources familiar with the situation.

The two numbers were settled on after experiments in the minor leagues, including in Low-A in 2021, where game times were cut by about 20 minutes. A 15/17-second clock was used there but baseball determined less time was needed for pitchers with the bases empty and more time with them occupied, according to sources, hence landing on 14/19.

The desire for a clock comes after years of increasing game times, culminating last season where the average length of a nine-inning game was a record, 3 hours 10 minutes. That's 20 minutes longer than just a decade ago when the average length was 2:50.

Games in Low-A West last year were reduced from 3:02 to 2:41 with the clock. There have been some mixed results with pitch clocks at different levels of professional baseball but the league believes it can only help speed up the big league product.

Rule changes have been a storyline during recent collective bargaining agreement negotiations with the players union, though the sides have discussed various on-the-field issues for the last couple of years.

As part of the talks which took place in Florida recently, the league was interested in speeding up the process to implement rule changes — like the pitch clock — but it remains to be seen if they'll be successful. The sides continue to negotiate for a new CBA with another round of talks scheduled for Sunday. The first two series of the 2022 regular season have been canceled after owners locked out the players in December when the last CBA expired.

Under those terms, the league could unilaterally implement rule changes one year