~2022 MLB Thread~

[OrangeAfroMan]

So has the shift been banned?  Ive not been able to find that it has.

Starting in 2023, infielders must have their feet touching the infield dirt.  So while this doesn't ban actual bodies shifting to the other side of 2nd base, it does ban the type of shift where you have your 2nd or 3rd baseman positioned in short right field.  

Also starting in 2023, there will be a pitch clock.  14 seconds between when the pitcher gets the ball and when he begins his pitching motion with no one on base.  19 seconds when someone is one base.

Both of these already exist in the minors.  

[OrangeAfroMan]

no different then rewarding a hitter for always hitting the ball in the same place like banning the shift would do

banning the shift would add 100 points to some hitting averages

Im only trying to even out the disadvantage that rule change would create

I understand, but
a - people want more offense
and
b - completely wrecking offense would go against what people want




Baseball outcomes are like driving a car - tiny corrections.  You can't just jack up the mound or change the strike zone or invent fouling out - they're like jerking the steering wheel to simply stay in your lane.  

[FearlessF]

adding 100 points to your batting average would be simple, just hit to the opposite field, away from the shift

but no one cares about batting average or singles

all about the HR

[longhorn320]

I understand, but
a - people want more offense
and
b - completely wrecking offense would go against what people want




Baseball outcomes are like driving a car - tiny corrections.  You can't just jack up the mound or change the strike zone or invent fouling out - they're like jerking the steering wheel to simply stay in your lane. 

I agree which is why banning the shift is bad

[longhorn320]

adding 100 points to your batting average would be simple, just hit to the opposite field, away from the shift

but no one cares about batting average or singles

all about the HR

I dont agree with that at all

there are plenty of players with high averages that dont have a lot of home runs

and its not that easy hitting to the opposite field with the ball coming in at 95 plus mph

[Cincydawg]

Power hitters today, the ones who pull routinely, would have difficulty hitting the opposite way.   Freeman did it some, he's an exceptional hitter.  I know Ted W. would do it.  Nobody would shift on Cobb.  They would on Ruth or Barry B.

[OrangeAfroMan]

I agree which is why banning the shift is bad

Teams only began radically shifting the past 10 years.  This is an effort to simply resort back to then.

[FearlessF]

I dont agree with that at all

there are plenty of players with high averages that dont have a lot of home runs

they don't hit against the shift

and its not that easy hitting to the opposite field with the ball coming in at 95 plus mph

not if you're just a muscle bound HR hitter 

[longhorn320]

Teams only began radically shifting the past 10 years.  This is an effort to simply resort back to then.

I understand that and I still think they taking away one of the best defensive tools a team has 

with no apparent need to MLB pitching ERAs have really not improved over the last 10 years

https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/majors/pitch.shtml

[longhorn320]

I dont agree with that at all

there are plenty of players with high averages that dont have a lot of home runs

they don't hit against the shift

and its not that easy hitting to the opposite field with the ball coming in at 95 plus mph

not if you're just a muscle bound HR hitter 

Sure they do

teams play a shift on probably 70% of the hitters and

Hitting to the opposite field is hard for any hitter

[Cincydawg]

Chicks dig the long ball.

I'd opine I saw the shift against the Braves for maybe half their hitters.

[longhorn320]

Chicks dig the long ball.

I'd opine I saw the shift against the Braves for maybe half their hitters.

The Astros shift on almost everybody

sometimes its minor but often its major

[Cincydawg]

In 2016 Major League Baseball only shifted 6.2 percent of the time versus right-handed hitters. In 2021 so far that number has jumped to 17.7 percent.

[FearlessF]

teams play a shift on probably 70% of the hitters and

Hitting to the opposite field is hard for any hitter

the greatest hitters hit to all fields
Rod Carew and Tony Qwinn would hit over .500 if defenses shifted on them