Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Kevin Gausman took to social media to express his skepticism about comments made by MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred regarding marketing the game through starting pitchers.
Manfred recently spoke on the “Questions for Cancer” podcast, saying that he didn’t think a minimum inning requirement for starting pitchers would be a good idea to address the issue of increased injuries and shorter outings. Gausman, who started 31 games in 2024 and led the majors with two complete games and one shutout, implored his followers not to believe what Manfred said.
“Don’t believe a word this man says,” Gausman wrote. “Get ready for 6 innings, you get to keep the DH, if not a fan hits in their spot.”
Gausman’s comment comes as the possibility of implementing the “golden at-bat” rule, which would allow teams to pick one batter per game to hit even if they are not next in the batting order, has been floated in the baseball world. Manfred also spoke about the need to create incentives for teams to develop pitchers who can go deep into games, suggesting that rules surrounding transactions and roster moves could be one way to achieve this.
In related news, CBS Sports reported that the inning per start rate sat at 5.2 during the 2024 season, more than an inning lower than it was in 1984. Gausman’s comments have sparked a debate on the issue, with some fans and experts weighing in on the potential solutions to address the problem.