How long is a San Diego Padres baseball game in 2023?

There has been plenty of discussion this season about new MLB rules and how they will shorten the length of games. From the pitch clock to the number of times a pitcher can engage with a runner, there have been new rules put into place to help fans of the San Diego Padres (and other MLB teams, of course) watch a full contest in a shorter amount of time.

So how have the new rules shortened Padres games this season? The numbers may surprise you.

How long is a San Diego Padres baseball game in 2023?

Heading into Tuesday's series opener at Wrigley Field against the Chicago Cubs, the average length of a Padres game in 2023 has been 2 hours and 43 minutes. That is tied for the fourth-longest time of any MLB team, with only the Oakland A's (2:48), Baltimore Orioles (2:45), and Houston Astros (2:44) needing more time to complete a contest.

Which MLB team plays the fastest games in 2023? That would be the Kansas City Royals, who have an average game of 2:27, making them the only team to finish games on average in less than 2.5 hours.

So how does that compare to last season's timing? Well, it appears that the new rules are certainly making a difference as the Padres averaged 3:13 per game last season, tying the New York Yankees for the longest games among MLB franchises.

Last season, the Detroit Tigers were the fastest MLB team on average, ending their games in 2:58, the only MLB team that clocked in under three hours. Put that as a comparison with this season and you'll see that the fastest game on average from 2022 would still have been 10 minutes longer than the slowest game from 2023.

It will be interesting to see how these game times shrink or expand slightly as the season goes along. However, it's clear that Padres fans are seeing a condensed version of action in 2023 at Petco Park.