Rules, origins and effects: MLB’s controversial Golden At-Bat proposal, explained

By Jamie Barton, CNN

(CNN) — LeBron James making a buzzer-beater to win the game. Patrick Mahomes scanning the field with seconds remaining. Lionel Messi standing over a free kick in stoppage time.

Most team sports allow their biggest stars to take over in the most important moments – the ones when you just have to get it right.

Not baseball. It doesn’t matter whether it’s the first inning or the ninth, whether you’re up by 10 or down by one. You could be Aaron Judge or a struggling rookie, but – save for pinch hitters – if you’re up next, you’re up next.

But, after MLB commissioner Rob Manfred controversially floated the idea of a Golden At-Bat rule in October, all that might be about to change.

What is a Golden At-Bat?

Manfred’s idea is simple. Once a game, a coach can choose to sit down whoever is on deck, and instead send any batter of his choosing to the plate.

It is unclear yet how the details of the proposal – which according to Manfred was “in the conversation-only stage right now” in October – would work.

Potential wrinkles to the rule could include an option where only the team that is trailing in the ninth inning can use a Golden At-Bat, or where teams can only use it in the seventh inning or later.

It is also unknown whether there would be any restrictions on who you are allowed to summon to the plate. If, for example, Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hits a double, can he then go back to the plate and hit again in a Golden At-Bat? And if he can, who would replace him at second base?

These are all questions that will have to be answered if the proposal goes any further.

Will the Golden At-Bat rule definitely be introduced?

In short, no. Given how early in its development the rule is, there is absolutely no guarantee that the concept will move beyond the ideas stage.

However, it is looking more and more likely that the Golden At-Bat will be tested away from the MLB. According to The Athletic, those involved in the minor leagues have heard “buzz” that the league is interested in trialing the rule over the next two years.

The MLB All-Star Game has also been suggested as a potential testing ground for the rule.

Speaking on The Varsity with John Ourand, Manfred said: “Most of the changes we have discussed involve producing the matchups, in the context of an exhibition game, that the fans want to see the most. You know, more freedom in terms of substitution and whatnot. I am receptive to those ideas, in the context of an exhibition game.”

While not speaking specifically about the Golden At-Bat or the All-Star Game, it is not hard to see why many have reached the conclusion that Manfred would like to see the concept play out in the Midsummer Classic.

Where did the idea originate?

While Manfred has caused quite a stir in mentioning the rule, the idea of a Golden At-Bat has been around for years.

Former Miami Marlins president David Samson says that he informally pitched the idea a decade ago, when he was a member of MLB’s previous version of its committee.

“The view was, you are basically ruining the sanctity of the game,” he told The Athletic. “The brilliance of the history of the game is that, hey, if the right guy’s up, the right guy’s up – and if not, he’s not.”

It should perhaps come as no surprise that the proposal has come back into discussion now. Manfred has developed a reputation as a tinkerer, having introduced the generally popular pitch clock and the generally unpopular ghost runner rule, which automatically places a runner on second base at the start of each extra inning in regular-season games.

How would it change the game?

The introduction of a Golden At-Bat rule – at least without very strict limitations on how and when teams could use it – would fundamentally change the sport in any number of ways.

We would likely see a significant boost in the best players’ stats. Players like Shohei Ohtani could potentially have an extra 120 at-bats per season, most of which would come with the opportunity to bring home runners.

It is therefore likely that, pretty quickly, the league would see new records for RBIs, home runs and various other stats.

Conversely, it would also likely mean a decline in the stats for the league’s relief pitchers, who would suddenly be facing much higher caliber batters far more often.

As pointed out by Philadelphia Phillies reliever Matt Strahm when speaking to The Athletic, “Say you have a guy like Craig Kimbrel, who is going to be chasing 500 saves. Then he’s got to do it at the end of his career against Aaron Judge and Juan Soto for every save?”

On top of that, the rule would likely see a reduction in moments when unfancied batters shock the world by pulling a clutch moment out of nowhere.

David Freese’s game-tying triple for the St. Louis Cardinals in the ninth inning of Game 6 of the 2011 World Series – which he followed up with a walk-off home run – saw him become World Series MVP that year.

But, given he was 0-for-3 in the game before then, would he really have had the chance to swing the bat if the Cardinals could have swapped him out for star Albert Pujols?

How have current and former players and managers reacted?

It is “what if?” discussions like these that have driven the largely negative reception that the proposal has received from players and managers.

“Not all change is great,” wrote former Red Sox first baseman Kevin Youkilis on X. “The best part of baseball is when the guy least expected to get the big hit delivers at the end of the game. A memory that lasts a lifetime for the player and fans.

“The roller coaster ride of emotions in sports is what makes it the best unscripted entertainment.”

“Our game is not built that way,” Joe Maddon – former manager of the Tampa Bay Rays, Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Angels – told The Athletic. “Why do we want to bastardize our game and make it like everybody else?

“The more we see things, the less impact they have,” he continued. “The Trout-Ohtani thing (the final at-bat in the 2023 WBC Championship) was outstanding because you rarely see it. You don’t see Halley’s Comet every night.”

That might very well be true, but one thing is for sure – if the Golden At-Bat rule does come into effect, you might not be seeing more comets in the sky. But you will be seeing a lot more of the stars on the field.

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