Cubs Play Home Opener Against Brewers, New Rules For MLB

Baseball is back on the north-side of Chicago as the Cubs host the Brewers to begin the 2023 season this afternoon. Chicago is hoping that a busy offseason will help them get back to the post season for the first time since 2020. The Cubs signed shortstop Dansby Swanson, former MVP Cody Bellinger, and starting pitcher Jameson Taillon, among others, during the winter. They’ll send Marcus Stroman to the mound to get things started today.

Meanwhile MLB has made a handful of rule changes that are sure to affect how America’s pastime is played this year. The most visible change is the new pitch clock, which affords pitchers just 15 seconds to deliver their next throw, and 20 seconds with runners on base. Those runners may have an easier time stealing bags because the bases are 20 percent bigger, reducing the distance between first and second by four and a half inches.