On Thursday, MLB and the Major League Baseball Players Association announced seven rule changes that will go into effect for the 2017 season. Here’s one of those changes ... 

An addition to Rule 5.07 formalizes an umpire interpretation by stipulating that a pitcher may not take a second step toward home plate with either foot or otherwise reset his pivot foot in his delivery of the pitch.  If there is at least one runner on base, then such an action will be called as a balk under Rule 6.02(a).  If the bases are unoccupied, then it will be considered an illegal pitch under Rule 6.02(b).

While this might strike you as an unnecessary clarification, it’s pretty much in response to the unorthodox delivery of reliever Carter Capps, now of the Padres. Have a look-see ... 

Now let’s home in a bit ... 

via GIPHY

Capps, as you can see above, incorporates a hop of sorts in order to, one assumes, incorporate some leg drive and move his release point closer to the plate, which increases perceived velocity. Insofar as the new rule is concerned, it’s not just about balk considerations, as made clear above. Even without baserunners, the pitcher is not allowed to take a “second step.” Circling back to Mr. Capps ... 

Hop-drag! 

Speaking of which, here’s how Capps’ somewhat reconstructed delivery looked as of last month ... 

All right. Sure, one might call that a hop-drag, but one might also call that two hops instead of the old one hop. Is this an improvement insofar as the rules are concerned? I don’t know that I’d call it an improvement insofar as the rules are concerned. 

The Padres’ understanding of things is that Capps’ delivery is legal so long as his foot “drags” -- i.e., maintains contact with the ground. That doesn’t appear to be happening in either the old delivery or the new hop-drag delivery. The new clarification, however, says that the pitcher may not take a second step. If we’re going to parse it in Capps’ favor, then maybe that initial micro-hop doesn’t quite constitute a first step, and as long as his toe drags the mound as he advances toward the plate, he’s in the clear. Something like that.

In any event, Thursday’s ruling was designed to provide some clarity when it comes to Capps’ delivery. I’m not sure it did that, even a little. Hop-drag, indeed.