How the Savannah Bananas Are Redefining Baseball for a New Generation

     The Savannah Bananas are a rising team with internet sensations like Robert Anthony Cruz (Coach RAC) and owner Jessie Cole. They play in a league called Banana Ball with some weird and wacky rules. Jessie sells all his tickets to games for $30, but they go for $400 on the resale market. They have four teams in their league: the Bananas, Party Animals, Firefighters and the Texas Tailgaters. The Bananas have a waitlist of 3.6 million people and sold out every game in 2025 before any have been played. Additionally, they are playing in 17 MLB Stadiums and 4 NFL Stadiums, with TV Deals with ESPN and ABC. Recently, they had a game at Fenway Park with 837,000 viewers tuning in to watch them live ESPN. So let’s dive into what makes Banana Ball such an exciting game to watch and play. 

Rule #1 - Win the Inning, Get the Point

In Banana Ball, every inning is worth a point. Say you score two runs and your opponent scores one; then, you win the inning and the point, and the score resets. If the score is tied after an inning, the teams will head to the next, and nobody gets the point. The only exception is in the final inning, where every run the team scores is counted as an overall point. This helps avoid teams getting blown out, as the run score resets after each inning. 

Rule #2 - Two-Hour Time Limit

Rule number two in Banana Ball is a lot simpler. Games are played under a two-hour time limit, and no new inning can start after one hour and 50 minutes. Additionally, if nine innings are played before the time is up, the game may also end. As previously stated, every run counts as a point in the last inning, and whoever gets more points wins. If the score is tied after the time limit or nine innings, the teams will compete in the Showdown Tiebreaker (see rule #9). Keep the game moving, no more grueling through slow, nine-inning games. 

Rule #3 - No Stepping Out

Don’t be scared of the ball. If a batter steps out of the box during a pitch, the pitch is a strike. This is to keep the game more exciting and to make it more entertaining for the fans. 

Rule #4 - No Bunting

Bunting sucks, and everyone knows it. That’s why in Banana Ball, if a hitter bunts a ball, he will immediately be ejected from the game. This should never happen due to all the players knowing the rules and the severity of the punishment, but you never know in Banana Ball. 

Rule #5 - Batters Can Steal First

Just because there’s nobody on base doesn’t mean there can’t be a wild pitch. Any time a batter chooses, they are allowed to attempt to run down the first base line and hope that they are safe. Batters can do this whenever they choose, but just don’t get thrown out, or the whole dugout will be mad at you. 

Rule #6 - No Walks Allowed

Personally, my favorite rule is the sixth one: no walks allowed. Instead, after four balls have been thrown, the batter takes off and tries to advance as far as they can. While that is happening, every member of the fielding team has to touch the ball (excluding the pitcher and catcher). The batter does not have to score but may try if they think they will be safe.

Banana Ball Rule #6 - No Walks Allowed

Rule #7 - No Mound Visits

Keep the game going: no visits. Mound visits have always been a time eater in baseball, and I believe eliminating mound visits is a step in the right direction. Cheer on the players from the dugout if you want to encourage them. 

Rule #8 - If a Fan Catches a Foul Ball, It’s an Out 

Banana Ball is for the fans, so why not make them part of the game? If a fan catches a foul ball, it is an out. Obviously, this rule would never happen in professional baseball, but I feel like it’s a nice touch to keep the fans engaged, and also make players think more about putting the ball in play. 

Rule #9 - Showdown Tiebreaker

If the game is tied after 2 hours or 9 innings, the teams will compete in arguably the best post-regulation finish in sports. 

• Round 1: The defense has a pitcher, catcher and fielder against the hitter. The hitter has to score to get his team a point. 

• Round 2: If the score is still tied, the teams remove the fielder, making it pitcher and catcher vs batter. If the hitter scores he gets a point for his squad. 

• Round 3: If it is still a draw up to that point, the batting team puts runners on 1st, 2nd and 3rd and sends up their hitter. The defense gets their fielder back, and has to try to stop the batter. Every run scored counts as a point for your team. 

IF A BALL IS HIT OVER THE WALL, IT IS A WALK-OFF AND THE GAME IS OVER

Rule #10 - Banana Ball Challenge

Think the umpire made a bad call? Each team (and their fans) get to challenge one play per team. Get the call overturned, keep your challenge. Fans can yell and signal to the team that they should or shouldn’t challenge a play. Most managers will listen to the fans, even when they know they’re wrong. 

Rule #11 - Golden At-Bat Rule

The final rule of Banana Ball is one that has been talked about throughout MLB, the Golden At-Bat Rule. At any given moment, your team can send up your best hitter to take the spot of whoever’s hitting at that moment. This can prove especially useful late in games if your team is down by 1 or tied.