By all appearances, a pitch clock will be part of Major League Baseball games in 2018, and it's looking more and more like it will be a 20-second pitch clock. Here's the scoop from ESPN's Buster Olney ... 

After informal conversations between MLB and the players' union in August, some players walked away from those meetings resigned to the idea that, one way or another, a pitch clock would be put in place for 2018. They wondered, however, if the time between pitches might be negotiated to 22 seconds or 24 seconds.

MLB, however, wants the 20-second pitch clock. And whether the union agrees or not, MLB has the power to implement this and other rules for the 2018 season.

That means pitchers must begin their motion within 20 seconds of the previous pitch. As Olney notes, the average time between pitches in 2017 was 23.5 seconds. Also, bear in mind that hitters also influence the time between pitches when they step out of the box, receive signs, adjust their equipment, etc. 

MLB first tried out a pitch clock first in the Arizona Fall League in 2014 and then at the Double-A and Triple-A levels starting in 2015. Commissioner Rob Manfred has of course prioritized improving pace of play, and he has broad powers to that end. That's why it's highly likely that MLB will be using a 20-second pitch clock in games starting next season.