NEW YORK — Imagine you’re a closer getting ready to face the opponent’s No. 9 hitter with two outs in the ninth inning of a one-run game, and all of a sudden, Juan Soto steps up to the plate.
Or Aaron Judge. Or Shohei Ohtani. Or Francisco Lindor. Or some other elite hitter who shouldn’t be taking an at-bat in the nine-hole.
That’s what the so-called “Golden At-Bat” rule would allow: one chance for teams to send their best hitters to the plate in the biggest moment of a game, no matter who was actually due up.
A few weeks ago, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred told The Varsity Podcast with John Ourand that this idea — this is nothing more than a loose concept at this point — gained “a little buzz” at a recent owners’ meeting. The Athletic’s Jayson Stark then detailed what such a rule could look like and how it could be implemented while sharing thoughts from players and front office personnel from around the league.
While Stark outlined a few ways the rule could be written up, the general goal would be to put the best hitters at the plate when the game is on the line. While you’ll typically see the NBA’s Steph Curry take the last shot or the NFL’s Patrick Mahomes get a chance to drive downfield in a close contest, the Sotos, Judges, Ohtanis and Lindors of the world are often stuck on the bench when their team makes the last out of a game.
As Stark pointed out, not everyone would be in favor of such a tradition-breaking rule, and relievers would certainly face an added burden from this potential attempt to manufacture memorable moments. However, MLB has adopted new, game-changing rules and modifications in recent years, including the pitch clock, ghost runners in extra innings, and bigger bases. The league has also been experimenting with the Automated Ball-Strike System (ABS), or robot umps, as some like to say.
For now, the Golden At-Bat is “in the conversation-only stage,” Manfred said. So nothing is imminent, especially for games that count. However, with the commissioner discussing the idea publicly, don’t be surprised if you hear more about it moving forward.
