Inside Rob Thomson’s plan to help the Phillies adapt to MLB’s new rules

The Phillies compiled a bullet-point sheet that outlines all the changes and will be sent to players next week. Among the team's biggest focuses will be the pitch timer.

Phillies manager Rob Thomson has a plan for helping his players adapt to Major League Baseball's upcoming rules changes, including a pitch timer.Read moreHeather Khalifa / Staff Photographer

by Scott Lauber

Published Jan. 18, 2023, 6:16 p.m. ET

Next week, every player who is scheduled to attend the Phillies’ major-league camp in spring training — from Bryce Harper and Trea Turner to the nonroster invitees — will receive a homework assignment.

And Rob Thomson expects it to be completed once they arrive in Clearwater, Fla.

New rules are coming to Major League Baseball this season, and they will fundamentally alter not only how the game looks but also how it’s played. To ease the adjustment process, the Phillies manager wants his players to study before they step onto the field. So, Thomson and the coaching staff put together a bullet-point sheet that outlines all the changes.

“Just listing the rules and the key points so they can start thinking about it, start preparing for it, and then we’re going to hit the ground running with pitch clocks and things like that in bullpens and [batting practices],” Thomson said Wednesday at Citizens Bank Park. “We’ve got a lot of experienced guys that have never even heard of this before, so we’ve got to get them acclimated.”

Of all the new rules, the pitch timer is what keeps Thomson awake. Pitchers will be allotted 15 seconds between pitches with no one on base and 20 seconds with baserunners. In turn, hitters must be in the batter’s box with at least 8 seconds left on the clock and get one timeout per plate appearance.

Thomson expects that some players will take longer to adapt because old habits — pitchers working slowly or hitters stepping out of the box — can be difficult to break. The Phillies plan to use buzzer clocks in bullpen sessions and during batting practice to help players get their timing down.

But there’s a catch: Many players will leave spring training in March to play in the World Baseball Classic, which won’t use the new rules. Turner, J.T. Realmuto, and Kyle Schwarber are expected to play for Team USA; relievers Seranthony Domínguez and Gregory Soto (Dominican Republic), backup catcher Garrett Stubbs (Israel), and right-hander Taijuan Walker (Mexico) may also compete.

“It’s a challenge,” Thomson said. “Those guys that are leaving early, we’ll try to hammer [the new rules] out as quick as we can.”

Thomson shared a few other thoughts:

1. Harper is on schedule in his recovery from Tommy John elbow surgery. He’s expected to begin ramping up baseball activities “toward the end of March,” Thomson said, with the Phillies anticipating his return by the All-Star break. To this point, Harper has been limited to strengthening exercises and light conditioning.

2. Despite the addition of active saves leader Craig Kimbrel, Thomson said he won’t anoint a closer “unless somebody steps up and is just completely dominant.” Thomson prefers to continue using a “floating closer,” with Kimbrel, Domínguez, and lefties Soto and José Alvarado in the ninth-inning mix depending on matchups.

3. Thomson is excited about the addition of Walker to the middle of the rotation. “I really like this guy because he’s got a big arm, he’s got the split[-finger fastball], he’s really athletic, really competes,” Thomson said. Walker signed a four-year, $72 million contract last month.

4. As the Phillies monitor their starters after a long playoff run and figure out a safe workload for 19-year-old top prospect Andrew Painter, Thomson said it’s likely they will deploy a six-man rotation at various points in the season.