The Shift is Being Banned - How Does This Help/Hurt the O's?

[nvpacchi]

Whether you agree or disagree its coming according to Jeff Passan.

Looking at O's hitters, nearly all lefties have a higher wOBA with no shift versus the shift, with some extreme values for some:

Anthony Santander: 83% of PAs shifted

Adley: 80%

Cedric Mullins: only 50%

A few interesting topics come to mind:  Does this make it more of a lock that Santander gets tendered a contract? Is this more incentive for Adley to ditch switch hitting? Does this change how the O's try to build their rotation - either going for more flyball guys or lefties?

[Moose Milligan]

Hurts:  Chris Davis, seen in Texas planning his comeback.

[glenn__davis]

One thing I have a lot of confidence in, Elias and Sig will not be caught off guard by this and will make adjustments accordingly.

[tntoriole]

4 minutes ago, Moose Milligan said:

Hurts:  Chris Davis, seen in Texas planning his comeback.

My first thought too lol. Great minds

[ChuckS]

This should help us.  I expect Elias will favor a LH hitting team moving forward considering the Great Wall of Camden and LH hitters are the ones hurt most by the shift. 

Our everyday lineup against RHP next year should feature five left-handed hitters: Mullins, Rutschman, Henderson, Santander, Stowers and could feature six at some point if Cowers joins the team at mid-season. 

[Moose Milligan]

16 minutes ago, glenn__davis said:

One thing I have a lot of confidence in, Elias and Sig will not be caught off guard by this and will make adjustments accordingly.

 

7 minutes ago, ChuckS said:

This should help us.  I expect Elias will favor a LH hitting team moving forward considering the Great Wall of Camden and LH hitters are the ones hurt most by the shift. 

Our everyday lineup against RHP next year should feature five left-handed hitters: Mullins, Rutschman, Henderson, Santander, Stowers and could feature six at some point if Cowers joins the team at mid-season. 

I'm into it.  I hope they feast.

I really do hate this, though.  I mean, it's frustrating when someone lines a shot and the 2nd baseman is standing halfway in the outfield to snare it, but still.  I don't see how this really helps promote the game, unless it leads to something like someone making a chase for .400.  

[LA2]

How will the anti-shift get enforced--umpires eyeballing it, digitally traced lines in some booth? Is this the first time there's been such a rule at any level of baseball?

Hasn't a pitch clock been tried many times before? Seems to always end up not getting enforced.

[Moose Milligan]

Just now, LA2 said:

How will the anti-shift get enforced--umpires eyeballing it, digitally traced lines in some booth? Is this the first time there's been such a rule at any level of baseball?

Hasn't a pitch clock been tried many times before? Seems to always end up not getting enforced.

I'm assuming the umpires are going to get penalized if their games are reviewed and they're shown to be not enforcing the rules.  I mean, that's what I'd do if I were running the show.  

[Bahama O's Fan]

2 minutes ago, LA2 said:

How will the anti-shift get enforced--umpires eyeballing it, digitally traced lines in some booth? Is this the first time there's been such a rule at any level of baseball?

Hasn't a pitch clock been tried many times before? Seems to always end up not getting enforced.

This is what I'm curious about. Only 2 players on either side of second base? Only 3 players allowed on the outfield grass?

[nvpacchi]

19 minutes ago, ChuckS said:

This should help us.  I expect Elias will favor a LH hitting team moving forward considering the Great Wall of Camden and LH hitters are the ones hurt most by the shift. 

Our everyday lineup against RHP next year should feature five left-handed hitters: Mullins, Rutschman, Henderson, Santander, Stowers and could feature six at some point if Cowers joins the team at mid-season. 

Totally, I think the new Great Wall probably was already forcing Elias and Sig to try to favor a more heavy lefty lineup, but I wonder what the breaking point of too much is and it starts clouding the thinking over just taking the best hitter

Jayson Stark did an article about shifts last year, and how it accounted for another 4.8k outs! That seems extreme, but hey the data is probably there to back it up, so taking flyers on guys in the mold of Eddie Rosario, and Seth Brown as platoon bats could be an interesting strategy.

[jabba72]

Im fine with it since the shift is somewhat to blame for the lower batting averages. Its going to greatly benefit LHer's who no longer have to hit the ball past 3 infielders.

[AlbNYfan]

I would guess 4 players must be on dirt cut out or closer when the pitch is thrown. Two on each side of second base. The penalty?? Infield ump raises hands..pitch is an automatic ball??

[Bemorewins]

One of the rule changes not being mentioned much that will definitely help us is the bigger bases.

I heard them talking about it earlier in the Summer on MLB network (I believe with the Dodgers manager) about how much it would help base stealers.

Well we have 2 of the top bases stealers plus Gunnar whose been known to swipe a bad or two in the minors.

[Just Regular]

4 infielders on dirt also blocks the four outfielder defense Toronto deployed against Adley.

I'd guess broadly these will favor younger, more athletic teams where I guess in division the Rays-Orioles will on paper seem better than the teams with more proven expensive stars.

[Natty]

If they are going to do this, why not ban computers, after all it's computers that led to this.