🔗 The MLB Ghost Runner Has to Go

MLB’s extra-innings ghost runner rule has robbed teams of home-field advantage - The Athletic

It’s asymmetrical warfare. A team that’s guaranteed to win with three more outs can use its best reliever to protect the lead if it hasn’t already used him; the home team can use its best reliever only to protect a tie. If the away team is up by two runs or more in extra innings, it can safely ignore the runner at second, whereas the home team will never get that luxury. The home team will always have to pay attention to the runner because if it is in the field, that means it’s a tie game, by definition. A home team can never be up by two runs or more in extra innings unless the game has already been decided by a walk-off homer, so it will always hurt its win probability more if the opposing runner moves to third base in the top half of any extra inning.

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I hated the ghost runner when it was introduced, but over time I have become okay with it as games did seem to end quicker. That said, it never felt real or like baseball. Hockey fans will understand this as when games go to a shootout the outcome becomes just random. Grant Brisbee does a good job here explaining why it’s time to move on from this.

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