The pace of play in Major League Baseball in 2024 may be tighter, while the path to first base will be wider.

MLB announced several modifications to the league’s rules that will take effect next year, including a shorter pitch clock with runners on base, fewer mound visits allowed and a more spacious lane for hitters running to first.

The rules were passed by the Competition Committee — which is comprised of six owners, four players and one umpire — and were voted against by representatives from the Players Association.

Tony Clark, the MLBPA executive director, said in a statement Thursday that the “immediate additional changes are unnecessary and offer no meaningful benefits to fans, Players, or the competition on the field.”

The league has been trying to further cut down the time of games after the debut of the pitch clock was met with near universal praise and shortened games from an average of 3:03 in 2022 to 2:39 in 2023.

Yet, game times for nine-inning games increased by an average of seven minutes from April to September as players adapted, and further pace-of-play tweaks are designed to combat the game lengthening further.

The most important rule changes, which will begin in spring training and continue through the postseason:

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Less-noticeable rule changes include:

According to MLB, the committee has tabled separate proposals on blocking bases and pitching deliveries until further this offseason.