For centuries, the MLB All-Star Game has served as a midsummer showcase. A place for the crème de la crème players of the season so far to shine on the stage. It gave fans just a game to enjoy without the weight of the playoffs and the stress of the standings. But in 2025, something has changed. Something loud and wild… Something revolutionary…maybe.

That “something” was the swing-off.

In place of extra innings, this year’s All-Star game, which was tied 6-6 after nine, was decided by a mini home run derby. Three players per league for three swings each, and with three blasts, Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber etched his name into history. He won MVP honors for sure, but he started a huge debate—is this format the future of baseball or just a flashy gimmick?

So, what is the swing-off exactly?

The rules were simple: three hitters got three swings, and the team with the most dingers walked off a winner. It was baseball’s version of a penalty, and you know how those can be entertaining, nail-biting, and perfect to keep fans on the edge of their seats, and no doubt, fans ate it up. In fact, even the skeptics ate it up simply due to the energy of the place.

Ken Rosenthal, for example, said, “’ll admit, I was skeptical. Highly skeptical.” A swing-off to “end an All-Star Game? Just another silly Major League Baseball gimmick.” Baseball is “a serious,” $12B business. The daily competition “is intense,” but fans want players to remember they are “playing a kid’s game, and often grow frustrated when they don’t.” The first tie-breaking swing-off had players on both teams “reacting as giddily as Little Leaguers.”

Giants pitcher Logan Webb said his texts were flooded with messages like “We should never play an extra-inning game again.” So it seems like in some way it was a hit. Jazz Chisholm Jr. also pushed for the format to be adopted in the regular season. According to him, it’s fun, so why not? But really? Is it all fun, and does it make sense in a regular-season game?

Should the swing-off stay out of regular-season games?

Let’s be real—that swing-off that ended the ASG was all fire. It was a total fitting showdown where no one’s season was on the line. But once you start talking about bringing swing off to the regular season, that’s when the problem arises. Look, the most crucial problem is that not every team has a lineup that’s stacked with guys who can launch 400-foot bombs on command. Can you imagine a Tigers vs. Pirates game in the regular season going the same way? No!

No disrespect, but All-Stars were the best of the best, putting on a show. But in the grind of the regular season, this kind of drama doesn’t hold up. It’s one thing when there is no pressure and completely different when every swing could change the playoff picture. And yes, maybe players are tired of extra-inning games, and playing 162 games is brutal. But replacing good old baseball with a home run contest each time the game is tied is maybe not the answer. It can turn annoying, and well, if you don’t believe- just ask NHL fans how they feel about the shootout now.

As far as how serious everyone was about the swing-off, the fact that the stars were missing halfway through an All-Star game really said it all. Shohei Ohtani, Aaron Judge, and Cal Raleigh were not even in the mix to hit when they are the ones with the most home runs. Judge and Ohtani, in fact, had left the stadium too! Michael Kay, in fact, called the entire ordeal out; for him, this was shocking.

And as far as the regular season swing off goes, Tony Kornheiser, the Emmy-winning co-host of Pardon the Interruption, simply said– No Way! And it makes sense, because the idea of stripping away the chess match that defines late-inning baseball is out of the chapter for baseball purists. Plus, as far as impact is concerned, it was almost nothing.

MLB’s attempt to swing to the future

Despite introducing the dramatic first-ever swing-off to decide the game, the MLB All-Star Game saw the average viewership drop to 7.2 million on FOX. While the audience peaked at 8.1 million, it rated for the second lowest on record. But the game has been the most watched program on Fox ever since the Super Bowl, and also remains North America’s top all-star event by far. The Home Run Derby too followed closely and averaged 5.73 million viewers at ESPN—a 5% rise from last year. It’s not just noise; it’s leverage, and when MLB needs a new broadcast partner post-ESPN, this is crucial.

Rob Manfred has already shown his willingness to tinker with the pitch clock for the ghost runners in extras. The swing-off, which was introduced back in the 2022 CBA, especially for the tiebreaker, could be next. But will it be sustainable? There is a middle ground emerging, of course. Some are asking to give teams two traditional innings extra before turning to the swing-off. Others suggest allowing regular-season ties as done in the NHL and other leagues.

And yes, some want to swing off left exactly where it is—in the MLB All-Star Game. But one thing is for sure: baseball is not really afraid to experiment. The sport needs some freshness, and Manfred and the league seem to be trying to do everything possible to prove that fun and tradition can coexist. Now is the home run swing off a gimmick or what baseball would become later—it depends.

What do you think will happen?