Protests Erupt as MLB Coaches Left Fearing for Safety After Controversial Rule Change

For the 2026 season, the MLB has focused on introducing new, stringent rules to the traditional game of baseball to ensure fair play. From this season onwards, MLB games will have the Automated Ball Strike Challenge System. This will allow teams to appeal an umpire’s call. Following the ABS, a new MLB rule intended to curb sign-stealing may have an unintended consequence: putting base coaches directly in the line of fire from 120-mph line drives.

In the past seasons, third and first base coaches have been repeatedly accused of sign-stealing and pitch tipping by stepping out of their coach boxes and inching closer to the outfield. So, the MLB has decided that the coaches will be confined to their boxes, and the umpires will watch over them. But the new rule has given birth to safety concerns for the base coaches, fearing that confining them to a particular area makes them vulnerable to being hit by line drives. The coaches think this will regularly put them in harm’s way. Multiple MLB coaches expressed their discontent to The Athletic’s Evan Drellich and Ken Rosenthal.

“MLB is the one that decides what we do and don’t do. Talking to our colleagues from other teams, we’ve all come to the conclusion that it’s extremely dangerous,” stated Boston Red Sox first base coach José Flores, highlighting the collective sentiment of the coaches.

Sandy Alomar Jr., the first-base coach of the Cleveland Guardians, observed, “That’s a dangerous situation. Imagine José (Ramírez) hits a ball 115 mph, pull side. You don’t have time to react.”

According to the guidelines, the farthest edge of a coach box should be 90 feet away from the home plate. But with batted balls generating exit velocities close to 120 mph, the coaches fear they won’t have the time to move away quickly enough when confined to the box.

“I saw (Pirates third base coach) Tony Beasley get smoked the other day against us. I’m not all-in on it,” opined the New York Yankees’ skipper, Aaron Boone.

Chicago Cubs third-base coach Quintin Berry echoed Boone’s sentiment. He protested the new rule, highlighting the constant danger they are in.

“You never get a chance to get out of there. You can’t get out of harm’s way, ever. And I get what they’re trying to do. But you’re not going to stop anything by putting people in a box,” said Berry.

Pitch-tipping has long been a part of traditional baseball. Coaches and players try to get a read on a pitcher’s throw and communicate the intel to the hitter. The MLB rulebook allows it as long as they are not using any electronic devices. But with aggressive complaints from teams, the organization has decided to keep the coaches inside the box.

However, Berry does not believe this is going to do anything other than compromise their safety.

“The reality is, if there’s anything out there being given as far as pitch tipping, guys are going to get it regardless, whether you’re in the box or out of the box,” Berry told The Athletic. He believes pitch-tipping will continue, now in a dangerous situation.

History validates these fears, as a past minor league tragedy continues to haunt the league. In 2007, a fatal line drive struck Mike Coolbaugh—a coach for the Colorado Rockies’ Double-A affiliate—in the neck. Coolbaugh was standing in the first-base coach box during a Texas League game in Arkansas when the tragedy happened. He was only 35 years old at the time of his death. The incident prompted the MLB to introduce helmets for base coaches to prevent further tragedies.

As the veteran Dbacks’ first base coach, Dave McKay, put it, “It’s dangerous right now. It really is.”

MLB decided to keep coaches inside their designated boxes after consulting the team owners, rather than the coaches themselves. Some coaches think the MLB officials need a better understanding of the dangers this rule poses. McKay wants them to experiment in a practical scenario where a pitching machine throws 100 mph fastballs at a protective screen near a coach’s box.

“Watch how quickly that ball gets there. We’re not talking about 115 mph. We’re talking about 100. Have that ball shot at you. Take a look at that. And you’ll say, ‘Wow, that ball gets there pretty damn quick,’” McKay remarked to The Athletic.

With the base coaches protesting the new rule and highlighting its loopholes, the MLB officials are in a tough spot.

What is the MLB saying?

Tracking data obtained from Hawk-Eye cameras showed that third-base coaches have frequently moved closer to home plate when a runner was on second, as per The Athletic. Teams have complained about breaking on-field rules, demanding stricter measures.

In February this year, MLB team owners voted in favor of keeping the base coaches within their designated boxes. This is to curb pitch-tipping at their annual meetings in Florida.

The MLB gave a statement to The Athletic on the issue: “Throughout last season, including the playoffs, one of the most consistent complaints that we heard from clubs was base coaches leaving the coaches’ boxes in order to identify pitch grips. We raised the issue with major-league managers at the winter meetings, and after hearing very clearly that they wanted us to take action, we agreed with the Players Association to increase enforcement of the coaches’ boxes and the penalties for non-compliance.”

According to the MLB, the MLBPA is also in compliance with the new development.

MLB encloses the coach’s box on only three sides, leaving the back area open. After critics raised concerns about coach safety, league officials emphasized that base coaches may retreat as far back toward the dugout as they wish.

“We have communicated to all 30 clubs that the base coaches are permitted to set up as far away from the foul line towards the stands as they like if they have safety concerns,” stated MLB via The Athletic.

But this allowance does not satisfy the base coaches. While McKay questioned the relevance of coaching first base from so far away, Flores thinks being closer to the dugout does not guarantee safety.

As per Flores, “If we’re still 95 or 90 feet away, it’s still dangerous. So, we’re just thinking 100 feet, 115 feet away from the batter.”

According to the Cubs manager, Craig Counsell, MLB should figure out how to ensure safety without breaking any rules. While Yankees third-base coach Luis Rojas hopes that the MLB will make some adjustments to lessen the risks, Alomar is preparing to come to his job with body armor ready to block any wild balls coming his way.

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