By design, baseball is more methodical and plodding than football and basketball. Also, analytics have made it even more cerebral than it already was. This may be contributing to baseball’s downturn in interest compared with football and basketball. Speeding up the pitching and batting process will certainly work to counter this propensity.
Analytics have been used to give teams statistical edges on the field, whether it is how a batter is pitched to or how players are positioned on the field. Small changes that prevent one or two hits in a series can mean the difference between winning or losing an extra game.As more data is collected under the new rules, analytics will tease out new advantages that will eventually neutralize their effect.
At the same time, with current batters finding it easier to reach base, their collective skills may marginally erode over time, creating a future of better pitching and weaker hitting. That is a combination MLB wants to avoid to maintain fan interest.