MLB’s New Outfield Positioning Rules Are Producing Dramatic Results In The AFL

Runs Per Game: 34% Increase

Through the games on Oct. 26, games at Salt River Fields with the outfield positioning rules in effect averaged 4.07 more runs per game than games at all other ballparks.

In nine games at SRF, 143 runs were scored, for an average of 15.89 per game. In 44 games at other stadiums without the positioning rules, 520 runs were scored, for an average of 11.82 per game.

Nine times this fall, teams have combined for at least 20 runs. Four of those were at Salt River, good for 44% of such instances. The average for all other parks is 11%.

Hits Per Game: 32% Increase

Hits followed a similar trend to runs per game. There have been 669 hits in the 44 non-Salt River games for an average of 15.20 per game. But in the nine games at Salt River Fields, there have been 180 hits for an average of 20 per game.

There have also been 13 games with 20 or more combined hits. Five of those occurred in the nine SRF games, compared to eight in the 44 other games. The four highest totals of combined hits have all been in SRF games as well, with two games with 28 hits, one game with 27 and one with 26.

The most hits in a non-Salt River game so far is 25 at Glendale on Oct. 26.

Doubles Per Game: 81% Increase

One of the primary goals of this potential rule change is to bring back balls in the gap, which is one of the most exciting plays in the game. So far, the data shows the positioning regulations have accomplished this.

In nine games at Salt River Fields, there have been 44 doubles, for an average of 4.89 per game. In 44 games at all other parks, there have been 119 doubles, good for an average of 2.7 per game. The major league average for doubles this year was 3.08 per game, which is predictably below the average at SRF, but above the average in all other AFL games. Eight of the nine games at SRF have had at least four doubles, including an eight-double game on Oct. 9, the most in any single game so far. 

Looking at data from games at SRF in 2025 when there were no positioning rules also illustrates how many more doubles there have been with the new rules. In 15 games last year, there were 52 doubles. This year, there have only been eight fewer doubles in six fewer games. 

Triples Per Game: 236% Increase

Triples have followed a similar pattern to doubles, as they are way up at Salt River Fields compared to the other parks. There have been 20 triples in the nine games at SRF for an average of 2.22 per game. In the 44 other games, there were 29 triples for an average of 0.66 per game.

The MLB average for triples per game this year was 0.28, so at SRF, that average has increased almost 800%. There’s been at least one triple in all but one game at SRF, and the four highest-total games of the fall have all been there: five on Oct. 22, four on Oct. 15 and three on both Oct. 19 and 26. The most triples in a game at any of the other parks is two. 

Comparing this year’s triples totals to 2025 at SRF reveals a massive increase. In 15 games last year, there were 10 triples at the park. In nine games this year, that total has already been doubled.

In-Person Look: How The Rules Change Outfield Defense

I went to two games at Salt River Fields during my time at the Arizona Fall League, and as soon as the game started, the positioning rules were evident and had a big impact.

In my first game on Oct. 22, I saw 23 runs, 28 hits, five doubles and five triples. My second game the next day went similarly, as I was treated to 24 runs, 27 hits, five doubles and three triples.

The first thing that stood out with the new positioning rules was how shallow and close to the foul line the corner outfielders were. The center fielder was also positioned quite shallow. Their positioning created huge amounts of open space in left-center and right-center. Hitters routinely took advantage of that and, as a result, balls that would normally be cut off or even caught were, at worst, doubles and sometimes easy triples. 

A triple by the Twins catcher Enrique Jimenez was one of the best examples of the impact of the new positioning rules.

Jimenez is not very fleet of foot, to say the least, and on a line drive in the left-center gap, he reached third standing up. His home-to-third time was 13.1 seconds. The fastest players in the major leagues can get from home to third in less than 10.9 seconds, and even in Monday’s game, the other two triple times were just under 12 seconds.

Neither outfielder misplayed Jimenez’s ball. Rather, they both just had to go a long way, allowing Jimenez to make it standing up. Royals left fielder Zion Rose is a plus runner, and he didn’t get there in time. Phillies center fielder Dante Nori is also at least an above-average runner, and when he got to the ball after traveling 92 feet, he couldn’t make it close, either.

In addition to being close to the line, corner outfielders begin much shallower than where they normally play. The average starting depth I witnessed for corner outfielders at Salt River Fields was around 250-255 feet. According to Baseball Savant, the major league average starting depth for a left fielder was 297 feet this year, and for a right fielder, it was 295 feet.

The new positioning did have some defensive advantages, though. Corner outfielders, for example, could make plays on bloop hits and sinking line drives that they usually wouldn’t get to. They also could cut off some balls down the line, though, when a player hit it hard enough, it still got by and rolled to the wall.

As evidenced by the data above, balls in the gap were a major problem, as corner outfielders were more or less taken out of those plays. And as seen in the video below, the route Zion Rose had to take on a ball in the left-center gap off the bat of a lefthanded hitter is less than ideal. As a result, the center fielder had to cover a considerable amount of ground to get to the ball. Corner outfielders, in general, weren’t accustomed to reading the ball off the bat from that angle, and it showed. 

Center fielders were also much shallower, and it was most noticeable on balls hit directly over their head. Their starting depth at Salt River Fields with the new positioning rules was between 285 and 290 feet—again significantly less than the 323-foot average for major league center fielders this year.

Twice in Monday’s game, Dante Nori had to sprint straight back towards the center field fence for a fly ball. The first, off the bat of Rockies catcher Jack O’Dowd, really stood out, as it had an exit velocity of 98.1 mph and a launch angle of 37 degrees. It traveled 372 feet with a hang time of 5.8 seconds. If Nori had been playing at a normal depth, it likely would have been a routine out. But because he was so far in, he couldn’t get to it in time. 

The Verdict: More Offense, But At What Cost?

Clearly, the outfield positioning rule changes seem to be working exactly as intended.

Offense is up substantially at Salt River Fields compared to the rest of the league, especially when it comes to doubles and triples. Whether that is a good thing or a bad thing remains to be seen, but the feedback on the rules from scouts who have watched games with the positional testing was almost universally negative.

As implemented currently, were these outfield rules ever used at the major league level, the premium on defensive ability—and especially range—at all three outfield positions would skyrocket, as teams wouldn’t be able to get away with hiding players in corner outfield spots or even average defenders in center field.