Major League Baseball is adding on-field advertising this season, both real and virtual. Allowed locations include the back of the pitcher’s mound, behind home plate, on tarps in the stands and in the grass in foul territory down the first-base lines. Teams have the choice whether to make the ads real or project them virtually during telecasts. In addition, physical ads can be put on the on-deck circle.
Taking a chance to review instant replay, Major League Baseball doubled the isolated cameras available for video reviews to 24 this year.
MLB also arranged for high-frame rate cameras to stream directly to the new replay operations center and ballpark video rooms, and for MLB-controlled 4K cameras with zoom lenses to be installed at high locations behind home plate.
Also, each manager will have 20 seconds to decide whether to ask for a video review of a call subject to a challenge, down from 30.
Universal designated hitter
While the American League adopted the DH rule in 1973, pitchers have continued to hit in games played at National League ballparks. That won’t be the case in 2020, as both leagues will use the DH to avoid overtaxing pitchers by having them hit.