Work

Time Constraints and Strategic Decision‐Making: The Case of Pitch Timer Rule in Major League Baseball

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: ABSTRACT This paper revisits the relationship between time constraints and strategies in decision‐making by investigating the short‐term impact of the pitch timer rule on Major League Baseball (MLB) pitchers’ strategy. I find that the pitch timer reduces the complexity of pitching sequences. Furthermore, this reduction in complexity is subsequently associated with a decline in pitching performance in the following season. These results underscore the negative effects of time constraints on pitchers’ performance and decision‐making. This paper contributes novel empirical evidence to how rule changes and time constraints influence individual behavior in professional sports and in real‐world contexts.

Source: Bulletin of Economic Research

DOI: 10.1111/boer.70077

Author: Xinyi Wang

Institution: China Institute of Finance and Capital Markets

Language: English

Topic: Sports Analytics and Performance

Subfield: Economics and Econometrics

Field: Economics, Econometrics and Finance

Domain: Social Sciences

Open Access status: bronze

Funders: University of International Business and Economics, China Scholarship Council

Award: G1094426313