News

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred Confirms 2029 Retirement Plans

CLEVELAND, OH - OCTOBER 26: (L-R) Kris Bryant #17 of the Chicago Cubs, Major League Baseball Hall of Famer 2016 Hank Aaron, Commissioner of Baseball Rob Manfred and David Ortiz #34 of the Boston Red Sox pose during the Hank Aaron Award ceremony prior to Game Two of the 2016 World Series between the Chicago Cubs and the Cleveland Indians at Progressive Field on October 26, 2016 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo: Getty)

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred will step down from his position in 2029 when his current term ends. Voted in by owners to replace Bud Selig in 2015, Manfred has overseen several radical changes in baseball in recent years.

“You can only have so much fun in one lifetime,” Manfred said. “I have been open with them (the owners) about the fact that this is going to be my last term.”

Though 2029 still seems very far away and Manfred will likely do more to impact the sport in the meantime, the commissioner has already done more than enough to draw both praise and ire from fans.

In 2018, Manfred began MLB’s long and arduous investigation into the Houston Astros’ sign-stealing scandal. By the time he issued a verdict and punishment, sometimes considered too light by especially angry critics, the Covid-19 pandemic derailed the 2020 season and forced the commissioner to quickly readjust.

Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter!

A week of sports news in your in-box.
We find the sports news you need to know, so you don't have to.

Because baseball is played outdoors or in wide-open spaces, MLB was more impacted by the timing of the pandemic than anything. Still, the league had to host games without fans in a shortened 2020 season often deemed less legitimate than those with the typical 162-game schedule.

After an entire season of baseball was indelibly marked by a public health crisis, Manfred oversaw radical changes to cut down on ballooning game times, pitching substances and general apathy for the sport. MLB implemented a pitch clock, routine pitcher inspections and smaller changes like larger bases, accordingly.

Manfred was voted in by the owners and has often been loyal to them, much to the chagrin of some fans. Oakland Athletics supporters have often redirected their rage from owner John Fisher to the MLB commissioner, who once seemed to mock the fans’ reverse boycott campaign in 2023.

The position of MLB commissioner is always a divisive one, and Manfred has handled some situations deftly and some in ways that he has admitted he would like to do over. Either way, he will be remembered as the league’s leader through a number of triumphs and crises, some of which may still come in his time remaining.