How long are Blue Jays games?

In a world of increasingly shorter attention spans and a whole lot more competition for eyeballs, pace of play had long been a problem for Major League Baseball heading into the second decade of the 21st century. But thanks to an increasingly radical set of rules implemented during the past decade or so, game times have dropped enormously.

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That’s not only made it more likely that younger viewers get to the end of games, it’s made the whole ballpark experience better.

How MLB reduced its game times

• 2015 A physical time clock is added to MLB stadiums. It limits times between innings and during pitching changes. Batters must also keep at least one foot in the box between pitches.
• 2016 A 30-second time limit is set for mound visits. 
• 2018 A maximum of six mound visits per nine-inning game is instituted and stricter countdown timers are used between innings.
• 2019 Mound visits are reduced to five per nine innings and the time between innings is set at two minutes for national and local broadcasts. 
• 2020 During Covid, a temporary rule starts every extra inning with a runner on 2nd base. It’s made permanent in 2023.
• 2023 A universal pitch clock is implemented. Pitchers have 15 seconds to begin their motion with the bases empty and 20 seconds with runners on base. A strict 30-second timer is also established for the time between batters. Pitchers are also allowed just two “disengagements” (step-offs or pickoff attempts) per plate appearance.
• 2024 The pitch clock is shortened, reducing the timer with runners on base to 18 seconds. Mound visits are also again reduced to four per nine innings.

The pitch clock dramatically changed the game. Batters have to be in the box and ready with eight seconds to go with balls and strikes used as penalties for pitchers and batters who don’t comply. The clock reduced average game time (ATG) by nearly half an hour. In 2026, the ATG across MLB is two hours, 44 minutes; in 2021 it was 3:10.

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So, how long are Blue Jays games?

This season, no team is averaging more than 2:49 per game, with the Tampa Bay Rays and Atlanta Braves under 2:40. The Toronto Blue Jays average game time is 2:44, pretty much smack dab in the middle.

Through 119 games in 2026, Jays’ longest game of the season was a 3:53, 11-inning “marathon” 7-5 win against the Phillies on August 8. In contrast, their shortest was a 2:06, 1-0 win over the White Sox on July 18.

2026 MLB time-per-game rankings

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