On January 23, 2025, Major League Baseball's competition committee unanimously approved two new minor rule changes for the upcoming season, focusing on infield shifts and replay reviews.

These adjustments aim to maintain the integrity of the game and prevent teams from exploiting loopholes in the rules.

The first rule change tightens the enforcement of the shift rule, prohibiting teams from having more than two infielders on either side of second base when the pitch is thrown.

Previously, violations of the shift rule resulted in either accepting the play outcome or the batter receiving an automatic ball; the new rule grants the batter first base for free and advances any baserunners by one base, while the fielder is charged an error.

For instance, if a shortstop crosses over to the right side of the field and touches the ball first, the batter is awarded first base; similar consequences apply for a second baseman violating the shift.

This significant penalty serves as a strong deterrent against violating the shift rule.

The fielder committing the shift violation is charged with an error, and the batter does not register an at-bat; however, the offensive team can decline the penalty if they prefer the outcome of the play.

The second rule change addresses a tactic used by teams, particularly the New York Yankees, where runners would overrun second base to potentially score before the third out was called.

Under the new rule, replay officials can determine if a runner has abandoned the baseline when overrunning second base, and if so, any run scored will not count.

Replay will also evaluate if a runner scored from third base before an abandoning runner passed the base, considering the timing of when the runner's second foot touched the ground beyond the base.

The new replay rule enables officials to review instances where a runner overruns second or third base, a situation previously ignored under the old rules.

If a runner does not hold or advance after overrunning second or third base during a force play, he can be called out for abandonment, according to MLB's presentation to the competition committee.