MLB's 'Artificial Runner' Rule Should Be Abolished Entirely
Source: https://www.facebook.com/americanspectator/. "The Stupidity of Baseball’s ‘Artificial Runner’ | The American Spectator | USA News and Politics." October 3, 2026. spectator.org
The Gist
The author argues that MLB's rule placing an automatic runner on second base in extra innings is foolish and should be scrapped entirely. His main evidence: MLB itself doesn't use this rule in the playoffs, which proves even the league knows it's a bad idea—so why keep it for the regular season?
Conclusion
MLB's automatic/artificial runner rule in extra innings should be eliminated from the regular season, just as it already is from the postseason.
Premises
- MLB exempts the artificial runner rule from postseason play, implicitly admitting the rule is unsuitable for high-stakes, nationally televised baseball
- If the rule is inappropriate for October (when games matter most and viewership is highest), it is inconsistent to apply it during the regular season
- The rule was originally justified as a COVID-era health and safety measure, but that justification no longer applies since the pandemic has ended
- Baseball's identity and appeal rest on its unhurried pace, and historic extra-inning classics (e.g., 1975 World Series Game 6, Spahn-Marichal 1963, Haddix's 1959 near-perfect game) would have been ruined by an artificial runner
- The push to 'speed up' baseball caters to impatient modern audiences rather than serving dedicated fans who appreciate the sport's traditional pace
- The rule artificially manufactures outcomes (placing a runner on second who was not earned by play) rather than preserving the integrity of the game as actually played
Assumptions
- Consistency in rule application across regular season and postseason is a reasonable standard for evaluating a rule's legitimacy
- Baseball's traditional slow pace is an intrinsic good that should be preserved rather than adapted to modern viewing habits
- MLB's commissioner and leadership are acting in bad faith or incompetently rather than making reasonable tradeoffs for broadcast/viewer concerns
- Historic extra-inning games are representative of what extra innings generally produce, rather than being rare highlights
- Fans who want faster-paced games are not 'real' or 'dedicated' baseball fans