March 29, 2016

THE SHIFT

It is becoming apparent that pitching efficiency is being driven by The Shift, the data driven positioning of the infielders to overplay one side of the field over the other. The Shift comes from the sabermetric analysis of batter tendencies against right and left handed pitchers, individual pitchers and game situations.

It is becoming so common that a third baseman is playing behind second base that announcers have stopped pointing out the alignment in the play-by-play.

What is head scratching is that hitters are aware of the shifts against them but they don't do anything to counter it. They continue to hack away and sharply ground the ball directly into the mitts of the shift.

Very rarely does a batter lay down a bunt to the vacated third base line. As we have discussed before, bunting is not in favor anymore with managers or players. It has become taboo or archaic.  But it is the only way to keep the defense honest and at home in their positions.

Just as I would bunt every time Jon Lester was on the mound until he could prove to me that he can throw to a base, I would instruct my hitters to bunt away from the extreme shifts. It is a single whether you bounce one off the right field wall or dribble one down the third base line. The purpose of batting is to put pressure on your opponent's defense. Hitting the ball directly at the fielders is making defensive play easy.

I'd like to a see a manager try to buck this trend. Reward players for bunting or slapping the ball to the vacant field.