Phillies Pitch Clock Controversy: Is Philadelphia using a faster count to hasten opposing pitchers?

When MLB commissioner Rob Manfred announced the league's new pitch clock among a litany of other measures, fans wondered if the game would ever be the same.

In addition to the clock, Manfred's office also gave the green light to bans on defensive shifts, larger base sizes, and pickoff rules, among others. The general objective behind these new measures is to decrease game lengths and stimulate offense.

Although the sweeping changes have widely been successful, some teams apparently fear that the clock has disproportionately impacted them.

As claimed by Matt Geib of The Athletic, the Philadelphia Phillies wrote to the MLB's head office to voice concerns that the clock, which they feel is faster than at other stadiums. In response to the Phillies, the league found that there were indeed some inconsistencies.

"Phillies players have suspected that the Citizens Bank Park pitch clock is faster than other stadiums', and now there's data to back it up (via @MattGeib)" - Talkin' Baseball

In Geib's research, he pointed out that the statistics back up what Phillies players are saying about the pitch clock. As per the research, games at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia average one clock violation per game. By contrast, the Miami Marlins and Arizona Diamondbacks are tied for second with 0.8 each, on average.

The reaction of players on the Phillies to the news that the clock at their home field is faster seems to be mixed. Some players, including infielder Josh Harrison, apparently had no idea that the clock appeared to be faster.

"Phillies players believe their home pitch clock is too fast." - The Score

Concern with the clock was originally raised by Phillies starter Aaron Nola. During his start against the Detroit Tigers on June 5, two of his twelve strikeouts came as a result of clock violations. Although the numbers made for one of Nola's better starts of the year, the former Cy Young contender voiced concerns that it felt "cheap."

Phillies' pitch clock casts further doubt on the controversial technology

Even though the MLB acknowledged that there were "inconsistencies" with the clock at Citizens Bank Park, players on the team are unconvinced that things will be resolved.

For now, still eight games out of the top spot in the NL East, the Phillies will need to come up with ways to win more games, whether it has to do with the supposedly broken pitch clock or not.