SB Nation Reacts: Fans like the All-Star swing-off... but not in the regular season

Photo by Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos via Getty Images

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Chicago Cubs fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

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This week’s survey asked questions related to some changes made in this year’s All-Star Game. First, did fans like the swing-off that decided the game? The answer was decidedly yes:

And while a majority liked it, an overwhelming majority said “never” do it in a regular-season

game:

I concur with both of these results. It’s fun in a game that’s basically for fun, the All-Star Game. What puzzled me was MLB’s secrecy around doing it — it was agreed to in the latest CBA, but Fox-TV announcers kind of danced around what would happen and many players said they had “no idea” it was going to happen until it happened.

I don’t get that. Why not promote the fun? In any case, now that it’s happened once, people will be prepared for it in the future. And remember, it only happens if the game is tied after nine innings. This is the fourth ASG since that CBA was approved, and the first swing-off. It’s not likely to happen much more often that that.

One other change was made in the All-Star Game:

Again, this is an overwhelming majority, and as I noted in my ASG recap, the system worked quite well. While nothing has been officially announced yet, I would expect that the ABS challenge system will be instituted in MLB in 2026, perhaps after more testing in the Arizona Fall League and Spring Training.

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