Poll: Would you be on board with “Golden At-Bat” rule in MLB?

In a recent interview, Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred revealed that the "Golden At-Bat" rule had been discussed at the owner's meetings and that there was some "buzz" around implementing the out-of-the-box idea.

The rule is simple - it would provide teams the opportunity, once per game, to choose an at-bat to use their best hitter regardless of where they are in the lineup.

So, if say the Red Sox are down 5-3 in the ninth inning and load the bases, but Vaughn Grissom is up at the bottom of the order, they can instead send Rafael Devers up to the plate out-of-order to take the crucial hacks.

It's an intriguing idea and easy to see the appeal, but oh boy would I imagine it'd take a while for the "purists" to come around on it.

If you thought putting a ghost runner on second base in extra innings got folks worked up, imagine thinking you've got a close game locked down in the final frame only to see Aaron Judge stride out of the opposing dugout at Fenway.

I'm sure it's something that would face plenty of opposition, but to baseball's credit, most of their recent moves have worked. The pitch clock and 3-batter minimum has sped up games, while pick-off limits and larger bases have brought back the art of the stolen base.

While the "Golden AB" would seem entirely out of left field, who is to say it wouldn't add an interesting wrinkle to the game?