Of all the monumental moves that Rob Manfred has made in his decade-plus as commissioner, we collectively don’t talk about Major League Baseball embracing the Savannah Bananas and Banana Ball.
No one will confuse the Bananas for baseball’s next dynasty, even if they’ve spent the summer selling out stadiums nationwide. As the New York Mets and Houston Astros chase championships following decades-old rules, the Bananas exist to entertain fans with innovative additions ranging from ball-four sprints and a two-hour time limit to in-game dances and trick plays.
And yet, we never see the sport’s top players or figures publicly lambast Banana Ball as a negative look for Major League Baseball. You likely won’t see Aaron Judge or Shohei Ohtani dismiss the Savannah Bananas as mere “entertainers” while the reigning MVP winners are hitting 98 mph fastballs into the stands.
Instead, the two sides respect one another and coexist in a way that bodes extremely well for Major League Baseball’s future and reputation.
Manfred and Major League Baseball made the right call making nice with the Savannah Bananas
When discussing Banana Ball and Major League Baseball, it’s important to note that it’s not one versus the other. Both appeal to fans for different reasons, and Manfred and MLB made the smart choice by recognizing and respecting that fact. According to The Athletic, MLB deputy commissioner Dan Halem privately offered the Bananas an apology over comments about the Golden At-Bat rule, which the Bananas accepted.
"If I mess up, please don't laugh." - Cowboy Kyle
— Savannah Bananas (@TheSavBananas) August 25, 2025
*Starts laughing almost immediately* - @BikoRicoSuave pic.twitter.com/z25j3AjWHL
The bottom line is simple and involves MLB’s bottom line. People love the Savannah Bananas' innovative baseball brand, and they keep paying to see them. By not waging war with Banana Ball-affiliated figures, Major League Baseball has itself opened the door for those who enjoy the Savannah Bananas or Party Animals to potentially give the Detroit Tigers or Atlanta Braves a chance.
“I have Little Leagues reaching out every day that they say they want to do Banana Ball League,” Bananas owner Jesse Cole told The Athletic.
“They don’t want to play regular baseball; their kids want to play Banana Ball,” Cole continued. “They want to have a yellow banana ball, the first ball that they pick up. It’s different.”
Some will argue that Major League Baseball won’t want to hear that and instead prefer that the Little Leaguers choose the traditional white ball and metal bat. However, it’s not much different than someone deciding to watch a Yankees-Red Sox game after enjoying a YouTube or Twitch streamer play MLB: The Show.
Some Savannah Bananas fans might even begin rooting for the Pittsburgh Pirates because both teams wear yellow. It’s a good thing, then, that the Pirates still have Paul Skenes in their rotation.
Who knows? If and when the Pirates eventually trade Skenes, maybe they can find their next ace on the Bananas' roster. Then again, would you rather play for the Bananas or the Pirates? We thought so.