MLB rule changes: Why the shift rule is a horrible idea
By Bill Felber
Altering the shift
The new rule bans infield shifts, but only to a degree. It is also silent on outfield shifts. For that reason, even fans who strongly desire to see shifting banned will soon find themselves disenchanted nest season.
Again, we go back to the principle that shifts promote winning and teams will do that which promotes winning.
Therefore, expect to see at least two new trends in 2023.
The first will be the modified infield shift. Teams may not be able to station three players on one side of second base, but that won’t limit their ability to maneuver their shortstop or second baseman very, very close to second in a defensive posture that will amount to a shift. The only restriction will be the rule requiring them to start on the infield dirt.
Effectively, then, the shift will merely be modified, not eliminated.
Teams will have a second avenue open to them, one raised by former Rays, Cubs and Angels manager Joe Maddon during an interview on ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball. The rule change only bans infielders from moving into advantageous positions in the outfield; it says nothing about outfielders doing so.
As Maddon noted, what is to stop teams from defending a Schwarber type — a notorious left-hander pull hitter — by moving their left fielder into short right, the spot heretofore occupied by an infielder? Nothing, that’s what.
In fact, Maddon forecast — probably presciently — that when the infield shift is banned, teams will gravitate even more toward the use of extreme pull hitters — with their attendant high strikeout totals — because the shift ban removes the principal prohibition against doing so. Result: Even more strikeouts, even less action.