Anthony Rizzo smiled as he stood next to his locker in the New York Yankees' locker room. He'd been asked about it.
He said that he didn't mind looking at the shift. It does when hitting into it.
The defensive alignment has been used against the left-handed pitcher for most of his career. The Toronto BlueJays and DetroitTigers have taken things to a new level by using four outfielders against a 12-year veteran.
The four outfielders allow you to hit a ground ball and get a hit. I hit a couple balls in the gap against the BlueJays and I'm headed to the bench.
A word that many hitters think should be four letters is summed up by his sentiment. Many a hitter has cursed the trend that has caused them so much angst, ever growing in an era that has seen the use of analytic tools become commonplace across the sport
Joey Gallo said it was a credit to how smart the game has become. It's a credit to how good the pitching is. The offense is at an all time low.
As soon as next season, that help could be on the way.
The league is working on a rule that would regulate the shift and mandate where players other than the pitcher and catcher can stand. It is expected that two infielders on each side of second base will be required before the pitch is thrown.
Theo Epstein, a league consultant, said in an email that the best rule changes are ones that provide the most benefit to the style of play. The benefits of banning extreme shifts will be determined by the new joint competition committee.
It's difficult to find a player who doesn't want to be regulated.
It was the way we saw it for a long time. The people in the Hall of Fame were playing for their lives. A ball up the middle isn't a hit. It was for them, that's what it was.
Ted Williams faced the change. Boog Powell, Willie McCovey, and others did the same thing. The alignment was rare until recently and it made a lasting impression.
When Tony La Russa was a manager, the Yankees had a second baseman almost up the middle of the infield. I smoked a one-hopper up the middle and he made the play and I was like, "damn, that should be a hit."
Technology has made it possible for more precise data to be gathered on where hitters tend to hit the ball. Over the past 10 years, defensive setups that put fielders in those spots have gone up a lot.
Free-agent hitterMitch Moreland said that Joe Maddon and the rest of the team were at the top. I remember hitting two balls in the 4-hole for hits. Later in my career, that would not have been a hit. Over the next few years, it became extreme.
Moreland ranked seventh among all MLB hitters in terms of the percentage of times he was shifted. He's looking to catch on with a team now that he's 63 points below his career average.
The Texas Rangers outfielder is the one who has the most to complain about. Over the past two years, he has faced more shifts than any other hitter, and the potential hits lost have weighed on him.
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You could be having a bad day and roll a ball over in the 4-hole, and now you're 1-for-4. It doesn't let you fall into a deep slump like what happened in today's game. It's kind of easy for every hitter, so you can sort of save your day. It's no longer there.
Moreland and Calhoun have been the most shifted against, but neither of them has become frustrated with the subject. Gallo has a.204 career batting average and has faced the shift in 91.4% of his at-bats. He is hitting.176 this year.
Gallo said that they didn't have that growing up. It wasn't a thing in the minor leagues. It has gotten more effective over time. It could be changed from a hitter's point of view.
When it comes to regulating the shift, adding offense isn't the only goal. As the sport decides what its future will look like, no rule change could have a bigger impact on the game's look.
"An anti-shift rule would restore a traditional aesthetic and make the game more familiar and relatable for fans who grew up knowing instinctively where the shortstop and second baseman play and what a sure base hit looks like off the bat."
Even pitchers who benefit from the defense can concede that point.
I never feel bad for hitters. The biggest complaint I have about the shift is how to explain it to kids. If he can't play the position, what's the point of having him? If he can't play second, what is the point of having a second baseman?
With the shift's departure, there would be a premium on range and athletic infielders.
In last year's anti-shift experiments, infielders loved playing with more freedom and room to roam, and we saw lots of athletic, rangy plays that you don't see often in a shift heavy league with infielders bunch.
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The batting average on balls in play by left-handed hitters is up eight points in the lower levels of the minor league. It's up three points at Triple-A. There is little doubt that the added offense will have an effect on the game.
Gallo said that everyone wanted you to go the other way. People don't realize how difficult the game is. I'll let you know that they wouldn't step in the box and do it.
Reds first baseman Joey Votto, who has seen a shift in his at-bats over the past two years, agrees. "Uncle asked if he could learn how to hit the ball the other way."
It's either opportunity or cost. I can attempt to hit the ball the other way or put the ball in play if I want to. You wouldn't be smart to hit the ball the other way or try for soft contact if you were to hit a home run.
The increase in strikeouts that baseball has seen as average velocity climbs will not be affected by the regulation of the shift. Counter arguments can also be considered.
Banning the shift would benefit a group of left-handed hitters who don't align with the industry's stated goals of increasing the amount of balls in play and athletic ability on the field.
The league hasn't made any final decisions, but it's more likely than not that there will be changes to the defensive alignment.
Who has our full attention and what makes them worth the time?
The most watched teams and players of the season.
It's better when games are won or lost by players making big plays, rather than by front offices making sure that third infielder on the right side is positioned exactly where they want it.
The league is continuing to experiment. Baseball will try a 'dead zone' behind second base in the second half of the season, meaning the second baseman and shortstop will have to be a certain distance away from the base as the pitch is thrown. They would use chalk to figure out where to stand.
Those who have to step into the batter's box against the shift and those who watch it on a nightly basis will be happy with the new look.
Gallo said that it opens up a new world for hitters.
The report was contributed to by an athlete.
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