Rob Manfred’s Double Bombshell Could Change the Future and History of Major League Baseball

Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred dropped two game-changing announcements this week that could redefine both the future and the legacy of the sport. From embracing robot umpires by 2026 to finally reinstating Pete Rose, the league is at a dramatic inflection point.

In a conversation with The Athletic’s Evan Drellich on Wednesday, Manfred confirmed his intent to propose the implementation of the Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) system by the 2026 season. This long-debated system would take pitch calls out of the hands of home plate umpires and hand them over to machine precision—something many fans and players have demanded for years.

“The ABS proposal will go before MLB’s competition committee,” Manfred said. “We believe we have the support needed to make it official.” Given that the league office holds sway over the committee’s vote, the implementation of robot umpires now feels less like a question of if, and more of when.

On social media, reactions were swift and overwhelmingly supportive. “Why not now?” one user asked. Another echoed the sentiment, calling this move “so needed,” citing an especially rough year for umpire accuracy.

But while eyes turned toward the future with ABS, Manfred simultaneously shocked baseball’s traditionalists by revisiting its most controversial figure: Pete Rose.

More than three decades after Rose was banned from baseball for gambling on his own team, Manfred has officially reinstated him, making the sport’s all-time hits leader eligible for the Hall of Fame for the first time since 1989.

Rose’s reinstatement comes after a full-throated push from former President Donald Trump, who publicly called on MLB to “get off its fat, lazy ass” and give Rose his due. While Trump’s comments didn’t hold legal sway, Manfred acknowledged that they had influence. “I paid attention,” the Commissioner admitted. “He was one of several voices I respected on the matter.”

Rose, who passed away in 2023, had long lobbied for reinstatement, despite lying for years about his gambling and being the subject of serious off-field allegations—including accusations of statutory rape. While those allegations didn’t formally factor into his ban, they remain a dark cloud over his legacy.

Now reinstated, Rose will be eligible for induction as early as 2028. However, he must first secure 12 of 16 votes from the Classic Baseball Era Committee, a panel known to weigh character as heavily as stats. With Cooperstown having once passed a rule specifically to keep him out, there’s no guarantee Rose’s final innings will end in celebration.

With both announcements, Rob Manfred has proven he’s not afraid to rewrite the rules—both for the sport’s future and its past. Whether fans embrace robot umpires or finally forgive Pete Rose remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: Major League Baseball will never be the same again.