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MLB’s new pitch clock may be leading to more blown saves

FILE - The pitch clock is visible as Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Dean Kremer winds up to deliver during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Boston Red Sox, April 24, 2023, in Baltimore, Md. Limits on infield shifts, a pitch clock and larger bases were implemented this year in an attempt to counter the impact of the Analytics Era suffocation of offense. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File)
FILE - The pitch clock is visible as Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Dean Kremer winds up to deliver during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Boston Red Sox, April 24, 2023, in Baltimore, Md. Limits on infield shifts, a pitch clock and larger bases were implemented this year in an attempt to counter the impact of the Analytics Era suffocation of offense. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File)

By RONALD BLUM / Associated Press 4 min read

NEW YORK (AP) — The pitch clock has sped up baseball as hoped — and it might be leading to more exciting endings, too.

A quarter of the way through Major League Baseball’s first season with the pitch timer, relief pitchers seem to be bearing the most stress from it, with save conversions dropping to 61.4% from 67.8% at a similar point last season.

The save percentage is near the bottom range of the past decade, which averaged 65.1%, MLB said Monday. The high was 70% in 2015 and the low 61% in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.

“Whenever relievers are coming in, it’s mostly a stressful situation,” said Toronto Blue Jays closer Jordan Romano, whose time between pitches dropped from to 14.8 seconds from 20.5 last season. “It was nice before when you did have those extra few seconds.

“Now you’ve just got to get your thoughts together and go,” the 2022 All-Star added. “I haven’t noticed it too much but yeah, I guess in the times I’ve struggled, a couple extra seconds would have been nice.”