Rule changes have been a hallmark of Rob Manfred’s tenure as MLB commissioner.

His latest idea is met with skepticism by many because it is a bridge too far.

This idea is the “golden strike”. Manfred broke the news during The Varsity podcast with John Ourand in October. His comment was made in passing and hidden in a 37-minute podcast that didn’t get much traction as baseball’s postseason reached its peak.

But The Athletic’s Jayson Stark listened and wrote about it Monday, breathing new life into Manfred’s comment that suggests a dramatic change in the way baseball is played. Manfred mentioned the idea during a conversation about the rule changes implemented under his watch and what might be next.

Manfred first discussed the progress of the automated strike zone – more on that later. But it was this comment that caused a stir both at owners’ meetings and outside:

The idea is simple. Once per game, a manager may bring his best hitter to the plate, regardless of batting order. So imagine pitching against the Dodgers, getting Shohei Ohtani out in a high-leverage situation. Then Dave Roberts plays his golden at-bat card and you have to face the best hitter in baseball again.

Or let’s say you’re facing the Yankees and loading the bases against hitters Nos. 5, 6 and 7. But then manager Aaron Boone goes for the golden strike, and next it’s Juan Soto. These are just a few theoretical examples, but the idea is clear. And it would represent a change in baseball the likes of which has never been seen under Manfred’s leadership.

We are not yet at the stage where we know exactly how the rule should be written or implemented. As Manfred said, it is “in the pure conversation phase.”

How does the golden strike compare to previous rule changes?

Baseball has undergone significant changes in recent years, leading to mixed reviews – most notably the pitch clock, limited pickoff attempts to first base, larger bases and free runners to second base starting in the 10th inning.

The larger goal of these changes – speeding up the pace of play – has been an undisputed success. Whether shortening the game is worth these fundamental changes depends on how traditional your view of baseball is.

The golden strike is a whole different conversation that might turn off even the more progressive baseball fans among us. Veteran baseball reporter Ken Rosenthal expressed this concern when discussing Golden Batting Tuesday on “Foul Territory.”

Stark, meanwhile, spoke to several players, including Christian Yelich, Carlos Correa and Freddie Freeman, about the idea of ​​the Golden At Bat. In short, they generally thought it was a fun idea for an All-Star Game, but expressed reservations about implementing it in important games.

What about the automated attack zone?

As for the automated strike zone, Manfred said two versions are being considered. The first consists of a home plate umpire wearing an earpiece and “simply calling out what the system tells him.”

The second would consist of a challenge system in which the referee only hears the automatic ball/strike call when a team challenges his call. This version contradicts the goal of previous rule changes to speed up play. But it’s something Manfred says baseball will see at the MLB level in spring training next year.

After that, “the following year will be the decision point – whether it goes or not,” he said.

As for other changes MLB wants to implement, Manfred is prepared for the backlash.

“No matter how good a change is in the long term, the first month will be hell on wheels,” Manfred said. “Because the traditionalists are after you. You just have to prepare for this storm and weather it.”