Yankees' José Caballero targeted by MLB for crackdown on plate routine of waiting to engage pitcher

Key Points:

• MLB has targeted New York Yankees shortstop José Caballero for violating the pitch clock rules by deliberately delaying his acknowledgment of the pitcher, leading to a pitch-clock violation and the ejection of the Yankees' hitting coach during a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
• Caballero's routine of waiting until just before the eight-second mark to look up has been deemed deceptive by MLB, which cited its Pace of Game Procedures that prohibit batter conduct designed to deceive pitchers.
• The crackdown follows previous incidents, including a warning from umpires and a bench-clearing altercation after Pirates reliever Dennis Santana confronted Caballero for taking too long in the batter’s box.
• Yankees manager Aaron Boone expressed frustration that MLB did not inform the team of the stricter enforcement beforehand, calling the situation embarrassing, while Caballero insists he is being unfairly singled out and that his routine is consistent.
• MLB implemented the pitch clock to speed up games, with 15 seconds allowed with no runners and 18 seconds with runners on base since 2024, and is now enforcing rules against batters manipulating the timing to gain an advantage.