If the pitch clock expires before the pitcher starts his motion, the pitcher is charged with an automatic ball. If the batter isn’t in the box and ready by the deadline, the batter is charged with an automatic strike.

In practice

  • With the bases empty, MLB’s pitch timer is 15 seconds.
  • With runners on base, it is 20 seconds.
  • The pitcher has to begin his motion before time runs out, or the penalty applies.

What fans usually notice

The play is essentially stopped at expiration, and the count changes immediately because of the violation. MLB explains that the pitcher gets an automatic ball for a violation, while batter violations result in an automatic strike.

Quick example

If a pitcher lets the timer hit zero before starting his delivery, the batter starts the next pitch with one extra ball in the count.

TL;DR: when the pitch clock expires, the side that violated it is penalized right away — usually an automatic ball for the pitcher, or an automatic strike for the batter.