If a pitcher stops his delivery due to a batter stepping out of the box, what is the ruling?

In the situation where a pitcher stops his delivery because a batter steps out of the box, the correct ruling is that there is no penalty on either the batter or the pitcher. The umpire will call "Time," and play will be reset. This is in accordance with baseball rules that aim to maintain the flow of the game while also protecting both the pitcher and batter from being penalized due to an unexpected action by either party.

When the batter steps out of the box, the pitcher’s action becomes incidental, as the pitcher had no intent to deceive or disrupt play. Therefore, calling "Time" allows the game to reset without penalizing either side, ensuring fairness and maintaining the integrity of the game. The other choices suggest penalties or actions that are not applicable in this scenario, as the simple act of the batter stepping out does not warrant a strike or a balk, which are actions that involve rule violations or deception.