The Outfield Switch

[emmett16]

So much for eliminating the infield switch.....welcome to the outfield switch.  BACKFIRE!
 

It’s seems the likes of Gallo, O’Hearn, & C Davis might actually have a more difficult time getting hits this year. 
 

I just started to notice this watching some replays the last few days. 

What does everyone think of this new development?  Who do you think this will likely impact the most?

 

Here is Matt A.  Breaking it down:

 

Edited March 5, 2023 by emmett16

[yark14]

I'm fine with it.  I was fine with the shift too.  Teams should be able to put fielders wherever they'd like. 

[Bahama O's Fan]

3 minutes ago, yark14 said:

I'm fine with it.  I was fine with the shift too.  Teams should be able to put fielders wherever they'd like. 

Yeah, me too. Hate the rule. Put all nine players next to 1B if you want.

[emmett16]

The shift didn’t bother me.  I did not like the implementation of the new shift rule. I like when the game changes organically.  That said, I very much like the new pace of play and anything to speed up the game is OK with me (to and extent).  So long as those defenders can move around in the allotted time, it’s fine by me.  It will be interesting to see how this plays out through the year. 

[Frobby]

Looks like a bad trade off for the fielding team.   The opposite field hits are going to roll to the wall.   Even the most pull-oriented hitters hit to the opposite field 16-20% of the time.  https://www.fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx?pos=all&stats=bat&lg=all&qual=y&type=2&season=2022&month=0&season1=2022&ind=0&team=0&rost=0&age=0&filter=&players=0&startdate=2022-01-01&enddate=2022-12-31&sort=16,a

[Aristotelian]

I called this as soon as the rule was announced. I think it will only work against certain hitters but it's definitely worth trying in some situations.

[Aristotelian]

12 minutes ago, Frobby said:

Looks like a bad trade off for the fielding team.   The opposite field hits are going to roll to the wall.   Even the most pull-oriented hitters hit to the opposite field 16-20% of the time.  https://www.fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx?pos=all&stats=bat&lg=all&qual=y&type=2&season=2022&month=0&season1=2022&ind=0&team=0&rost=0&age=0&filter=&players=0&startdate=2022-01-01&enddate=2022-12-31&sort=16,a

You are probably going to increase the probability of doubles and triples but also decrease the probability of a hit. Just depends on the hitter and situation. 

 

[Morgan423]

I hope that this "adjustment" backfires on these teams, and they quickly see extra pain on opposite field batted balls that get by these sparse defensive alignments.  Otherwise...

It's clear what MLB's intentions are here, and the current league is not afraid to make radical changes to the traditional game.  I, for one, do not need to see the league apply anti-shift rules to the outfielders and watch the league draw shift zone lines from the infield to the wall.

[Jim'sKid26]

The shift, in whichever iteration, is a gamble by the defense. This new version looks like a bigger gamble but teams who play the odds will likely benefit long-term. I wonder if they do it in the playoffs.

[waroriole]

I don’t know why MLB didn’t anticipate this. As soon as the rule came out people were pointing to this as a workaround. 

Edited March 5, 2023 by waroriole

[Frobby]

14 minutes ago, Jim'sKid26 said:

The shift, in whichever iteration, is a gamble by the defense. This new version looks like a bigger gamble but teams who play the odds will likely benefit long-term. I wonder if they do it in the playoffs.

If this was a better alternative than shifting the infielders, they would have been doing it already.   This is a worse trade off for the defense, so it will be used less often than the infield shift was.   But I’m sure it will be used at times.   It will be fun to watch on those occasions when it gets burned.  

[Sports Guy]

17 minutes ago, waroriole said:

I don’t know why MLB didn’t anticipate this. As soon as the rule came out people were pointing to this as a workaround. 

I’m sure they did anticipate it but what else are they going to do?  Say you must have people standing in all positions?  
 

Only so much they can do.

[Bird Is The Word]

Not sure how great any of the offseason rule changes will turn out to tbh, this one included. I understand the basics of why the MLB wants to do it, but again I think gonna take the players and coaches longer to get used to them than perhaps the MLB thinks it will.

We will have to work around them just as every other team will have to.

[Spy Fox]

I’m not sure where to find the exact numbers, but I believe fly balls go to the opposite field a much higher % of the time compared to ground balls. So this strategy is likely to have both a higher failure rate (because of the oppo fly balls) and more consequences upon failure (because the hits will be for extra bases) than the old shift.
 

It’s possible the league didn’t anticipate it, or possible they knew it could happen but have reason to believe it won’t proliferate as much as the old shift did. I bet we’ll see it occasionally but against a more narrow type of hitter and in more narrow situations. 

[waroriole]

17 minutes ago, Sports Guy said:

I’m sure they did anticipate it but what else are they going to do?  Say you must have people standing in all positions?  
 

Only so much they can do.

They can determine where OF stand too. I think if too many teams take advantage of this, you’ll see them assign OF starting points.