2023 World Baseball Classic extra innings rules explained: What happens in case of a tie?
The 2023 World Baseball Classic has had a few blowouts, but more than a few tight races. We look at the WBC extra innings rules that will be in play
Several games in the 2023 World Baseball Classic have been blowouts. A few have even ended by mercy rule. But for every one that skewed that way, there was another contest that ended with a one run difference between the teams.
In the event of tie records to get out of a group, there are several factors that the WBC uses, including head to head results, run differential, team batting average, and drawing lots. Yes, you read that right.
But what about in a single game?
With no extra innings played in MLB spring training games, this one could be a little confusing, but not to worry. For the 2023 World Baseball Classic, the rules on extra innings have been aligned with the MLB regular season rules.
this means that all tie games will indeed go to extra innings, and the much-derided “Manfred man” will be in play. The actual text of the rule is as follows:
“For any inning beginning with the 10th inning, the Federation Team at bat shall begin the inning with a runner on second base. The batter who leads off an inning shall continue to be the batter who would lead off the inning in the absence of this extra-innings rule. The runner on second base shall be the player (or a substitute for such player) in the batting order immediately preceding the batter who leads off the inning.”
So basically, the batter who made the last out in the previous inning will start out the following inning on second.
Even though the WBC is taking place during spring training, the games will be played as if it were a regular season.
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