Is Banana Ball coming to Major League Baseball?
Maybe … but not so fast.
Although MLB commissioner Rob Manfred made and then clarified remarks that the unique Golden At-Bat rule – invented and utilized by the Savannah Bananas – has created a “buzz.”
The Golden At-Bat rule allows a team the ability to send any hitter of their choosing at any time to the plate despite the batting order. So, imagine the Braves are down a run with two outs in the bottom of the ninth. How would you like to see Ronald Acuña Jr. or Matt Olson come to the plate when needed the most even though it isn’t their turn?
“To go from the conversation stage to this actually showing up in MLB is a very long road,” Manfred told the Yes Network last week. “You don’t like the idea? I wouldn’t be too concerned about it right now.”
Manfred originally made comments about the Golden At-Bat run on a podcast and revealed there was buzz about the rule coming out of the competition committee during the owners meetings in mid-November.
“It was a very preliminary conversation which did create some buzz,” Manfred reiterated during the Yes Network. “I do encourage the owners to have conversations about the game.”
The Savannah Bananas took to social media to tout their rule, announced in 2023 and introduced this season. According to the team, the Golden At-Bat was used 69 times in 95 games. The Savannah Bananas hit .292 when using the rule and their opponents, the Party Animals, hit .286. In all, the batter in a Golden At-Bat either tied or won the game 12 times.
“Obviously, I love it,” Savannah Bananas owner Jesse Cole posted on social media. “In the NBA, the best player always has the opportunity to get the ball in their hands to take the final shot. Why can’t that happen in baseball? … Baseball traditionalists are going to hate it, but the game has to evolve if you want to continue to create new fans. And MLB, I know you are going to get push back but, in Bananaland, we are all in support. Go for it. Create some fun. Create new fans and even more excitement in the years to come.”
Most major rule changes are tested in minor leagues before being brought to the majors.
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