MLB commissioner Rob Manfred claimed that the potential for unexpected rule changes is creating “a bit of a buzz.”
While speaking with John Woolland on “The Varsity Podcast” Manfred said the “golden at-bat rule” has been discussed league-wide.
For those unfamiliar with the idea, the general concept is that a team can choose one at-bat each game to send out its best batter, even if it's not his turn to bat. . According to The Athletic.
“There are various things. [rule change ideas] What is being talked about there. “One of them, which was talked about a little bit in the owners' meetings, was the idea of 'golden bats,'” Manfred said on the podcast.
The MLB Committee made it clear that it was in the very early stages of the process.
“Those rules and such are currently in the dialogue-only stage,” Manfred said.
According to a reporter for The Athletic, there are many variations of the “golden at-bat rule,” ranging from limiting the opportunity to teams that are behind or tied late in the game to requiring one “golden at-bat” for each team. There are many variations, including what is allowed to be given. – Bat,” but it just started in the seventh inning.
This could create a situation where a star hitter, such as Yankees' Aaron Judge, currently hits in two consecutive at-bats if he uses a “golden at-bat” before stepping into the lineup.
MLB has implemented several rule changes in recent years, and their success has given baseball the confidence to continue to strive and innovate.
“One of the best things about last year's success was… [was] This makes it easier for people in the game to talk about change. ” Manfred said. “They had some confidence that they could manage the change process in a way that produced positive results.”
