Rob Manfred told Audacy’s The Varsity podcast that there has been some “buzz” about the idea of a “Golden At-Bat” rule in Major League Baseball, where teams would be allowed to select one hitter to bat out of turn once per game.
The idea would be to maximize the game’s brightest stars, as Aaron Judge would theoretically be able to come up to bat with one out in the ninth inning in his normal batting spot, then come up again right after if Aaron Boone hadn’t used his Golden At-Bat yet.
It was just an idea floated out by the commissioner, but he wouldn’t have said it for nothing, so there clearly is some form of discussion about the rule change. There have been plenty of changes in recent years to baseball, from the shift ban to the three-batter minimum for relief pitchers, and even if the Golden At-Bat sounds like the most radical one yet, Brandon Tierney isn’t opposed to it, as he likes the idea of baseball getting its stars up in the biggest spots like other sports are naturally able to do.
“I would have screamed about this like a lunatic even five years ago,” BT said. “But I’m incredibly intrigued about this. If you’ve got the Golden At-Bat, now it’s gut. It’s not as much analytics...there’s a managerial gut aspect that is appealing.
“Knicks are down one, what’ Tom Thobodueau cooking up? Either a play for Jalen Brunson or Karl-Anthony Towns. The Giants need a crucial first down, they’re gonna try to find Malik Nabers, and the Jets would find Garrett Wilson or Davante Adams...it involves some really interesting optics that I’m open to.”
Sal didn’t slam the idea, but it’s not one that he wants to see implemented, as he believes it would be too much change.
“I think it’s too radical. It’s too out there,” Sal said. “Let’s just say, hypothetically, [Juan] Soto drives one in the gap, scores a couple runs, and they’re down by two, and they want Soto up again...it’s weird to me where you can have guys taking multiple at-bats, or have a guy batting back-to-back.
“I think that one is pushing it too far.”