Mookie Betts wants one MLB rule that would end games early
Los Angeles Dodgers star Mookie Betts wants Major League Baseball to end games early once a position player enters to pitch in a blowout. Speaking to Sports Illustrated, Betts said that when a team is down by 10 runs and turns to a non-pitcher on the mound, umpires should simply call the game.
The back-to-back World Series champion Dodgers shortstop shared the idea in an All-Star break interview with Sports Illustrated on behalf of Corona. Betts praised recent pace-of-play changes—from the pitch clock to larger bases—but said position-player pitching is the one part of baseball he would still change.
Key Takeaways
- Mookie Betts wants MLB to call games once a position player pitches in a blowout, especially when a team trails by 10 runs.
- He called facing a position player a "lose-lose" situation for hitters.
- Position-player pitching appearances rose from three in 2008 to a record 132 in 2022, then hit 131 in 2025 and 83 by mid-2026.
- Fan debate highlighted TV ad contracts, ticket buyers expecting nine innings, and the entertainment of blowout novelty pitching.
What rule change does Mookie Betts want?
"Once position players come in (to pitch), just call the game," Betts told SI. "That's pretty much it. Once you're down 10 [runs] and the position player comes in, just call it a day."
Managers increasingly use non-pitchers in lopsided contests to spare bullpen arms. According to MLB figures cited by Sports Illustrated, there were just three position-player pitching appearances in 2008. That jumped to 90 in 2019 and peaked at 132 in 2022. Totals fell briefly after tighter rules, then climbed again to 131 in 2025. Halfway through the 2026 season, 39 different position players had made 83 relief appearances.
Why does Betts dislike facing position players?
"It's a lose-lose," Betts said. Get a hit and you were supposed to. Make an out and you got retired by a position player. He has one plate appearance against a position player this season—flying out to center against Pirates utilityman Tyler Callihan in the Dodgers' 12-3 win on June 9—and said he'd "rather just go home at that point."
Heading into the 2023 season, MLB limited when position players can pitch: only in extra innings, when trailing by at least eight runs, or when leading by at least 10 runs in the ninth. Those guardrails cut the practice for a few years, but the midsummer 2026 numbers show it remains common in blowouts.
How are fans reacting to the proposal?
Coverage on Heavy.com said Betts' comments sparked strong debate. Some fans argued TV networks buy rights to a full game and sell commercials accordingly, so ending contests early would scramble ad inventory. Others said paying spectators expect nine innings no matter the score, while a few argued position-player pitching is often the most entertaining part of a blowout.
Alternative ideas floated in the discussion included letting managers voluntarily forfeit hopeless games or banning position-player pitching outright instead of shortening regulation. For more athlete headlines, see our Celebrity Breaking News desk.
Entering the All-Star break, Betts and the Dodgers owned baseball's best record at 61–36 with an 11.5-game lead in the NL West. Whether MLB ever shortens blowouts remains unclear—but Mookie Betts has put a clear proposal on the table.