Manfred Rejects MLB’s Golden At-Bat Rule

Major League Baseball’s Rob Manfred recently dismissed the idea of the “golden at-bat” rule becoming a reality anytime soon.

He reassured everyone at the Italian American Baseball Foundation gala, saying, “For those of you who have ‘golden at-bat’ concerns, put your head on your pillow and sleep soundly tonight,” as reported by Leif Skodnick from the World Baseball Network. Over recent years, Manfred has changed how MLB games are played by adding a pitch clock and limiting defensive shifts. Next spring training, MLB will try out a new strike-zone challenge system that was tested in minor leagues. But don’t expect to see the “golden at-bat” rule in action anytime soon.

The “golden at-bat” would let teams send any player to bat whenever they want during a game. Imagine if the Dodgers wanted Shohei Ohtani to hit instead of their ninth batter with two outs and bases loaded in a tied game—no problem! This would change baseball’s tradition of having a set batting order and allowing exciting moments to happen naturally.

Manfred’s Views on Rule Changes:

Manfred mentioned that this idea came up last November during an owner’s meeting competition committee talk. Although he encourages these discussions among owners, he admitted he’s not keen on this idea himself. Fans might think it’s wild or even unfair!

“It has come out that I have spoken publicly about this kind of change years ago, that I was not particularly in favor of it,” Manfred reiterated according to ESPN. His stance remains unchanged.

What do you think about such changes? Would they make baseball more exciting or just too chaotic?