The rules changes that have been put in place by MLB in recent years have been pretty polarizing including among the Atlanta Braves and their fans. Spencer Strider has openly worried that the pitch clock is going to make pitcher injuries more common, but the new pickoff rules and larger bases contributed to Ronald Acuna Jr. putting together one of the best seasons in modern baseball history. However, the rules change recently floated by Rob Manfred and others called the "Golden At-Bat" rule is getting a frosty reception from almost everyone so far.
The short explanation of the "Golden At-Bat" rule is that once a game, a team can choose an at-bat to let any of their hitters hit regardless if it is their turn in the lineup. There are a lot of potential variations on the rule in play, but here is an example that will fit most iterations. Say it is the eighth inning and your #7 hitter is coming up with runners on second and third with one out while you are down a rule. Instead of having to hold out hope that one of your worst hitters can come through, a team can instead choose to have their #2 hitter hit in that spot.
Understandably, baseball traditionalists and even many modern baseball analysts have some serious concerns about the imposition of such a rule. However, that doesn't mean that it couldn't potentially benefit the Braves if it actually went into effect.
Explaining the "Golden At-Bat" rule, why it stinks, and how the Braves could benefit from it
Essentially the "Golden At-Bat" rule is a once-per-game pinch-hitting opportunity that wouldn't require removing a hitter from the game for another and that can/will include hitters already in the lineup elsewhere. Some possible implementations of the rule include allowing teams to do this whenever they want to in a game, only in the seventh inning or later, and/or could only be used if a team is behind in a game. There is also some discussion as to whether or not the players would permanently switch lineup places or if everything went back to normal after the "Golden" plate appearance.
While the rule could lead to some exciting moments, it sure has a lot of problems. Having the "Golden At-Bat" rule in place would deprioritize lineup construction which probably should matter in baseball, lessen the value of a team's bench as well as lefty/righty specialists out of the bullpen, probably increase the divide between small and large market teams (if you have a $300 million hitter in your lineup, he is also probably an automatic "Golden At-Bat" guy), and make rosters top heavy instead of forcing teams to prioritize lineup depth.
Who cares if your 7/8/9 hitters all all terrible if you have a "get out of jail free" card you can play the one plate appearance a game where that is likely to really matter? There are also some real questions as to how this could effect existing records and awards consideration as there is a class of hitters that could/would get an extra 60+ (at least) plate appearances a season all of a sudden.
Bases are loaded, here comes Orlando Arcia with a chance to bring in a run to put the Braves on top!
— Austin (@AustinPlanet) September 2, 2024
Orlando Arcia: pic.twitter.com/VFmCPqdEbG
That said, the Braves are one of the teams that could really take advantage of such a rule. Consider the above scenario where you have a struggling Orlando Arcia coming to the plate with the bases loaded late in a game and you are down a run. Instead of Arcia, Atlanta could put the at-bat in the hands of a healthy Ronald Acuna Jr. If there is a tough righty on the mound that Acuna Jr. has struggled against, you can go with even-year Matt Olson. With a team loaded with stars that have very favorable matchups, Atlanta could feast in situations that would normally cause some trouble.
Ultimately, such a drastic rules change doesn't feel like it would come anytime soon. There doesn't seem to be widespread support for the rule beyond maybe some early experimentation outside of the big leagues. The league also is probably going to focus on getting a working "balls and strikes" challenge system in place that actually could be a positive change. One hopes that the league will pivot away from such a change, but the Braves could end up with an advantage even if Manfred or his successor(s) go through with it.