How MLB Teams Can Get Around The New Shift Rules

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[@Sam_on_YouTube]

You need to have outs in that chart too. It doesn't tell you about balls caught by the left fielder.

[@nimrodzaphnath5495]

Exactly.

[@silvermineband2719]

This is a huge omission in this video. If he can hit soft flies to left, they will look like scorched liners in the gap on the scoresheet.

[@charleshess3764]

Was about to say the same thing 😂

[@IRanOutOfPhrases]

Lol, had the same thought, yep

[@andrewb378]

Chart needs outs and he needs to talk about rate rather than volume. It's easy to say Gallo only had 9 hits to left and Yordan had 44 so clearly Yordan hit to left way more, but it's not helpful, especially when you see that Yordan had more than double the outfield hits that Gallo had. 9 to 44 ends up actually being 19% of outfield hits to left for Gallo and 38% for Yordan, but "half as often" is actually way better than the 20% 9 to 44 would suggest.

[@Aznerep]

The spray chart doesnt show flyouts to left which would now probably be hits. I don't know how this is going to work out. Should be fun.

[@howardbaxter2514]

Yeah, I feel like we need more of a complete picture here. I want to know how often he did truly hit to left field, and how many outs that resulted in. Cause it does matter. He could hit the ball to the left 90% of the time and gotten out 95% of the time, and gotten a hit 95% of the time to the right. Such numbers would make it appear like he only hits to the right, when in reality, good defense and a lack of power is what is preventing him from getting hits in left field. Now, instead of being a power hitter, he suddenly becomes a hit for contact type player because he can more easily get on base.

[@marvfj6451]

Thanks very much for your analysis. Ignore the critics, particularly any who suggest (rudely) what “you need” to do.

[@darrinsiberia]

They did the same thing to Brandon Belt. There'd be literally no one except the ball boy left of the 2nd base bag. And still he couldn't hit anything over there. Once in awhile he'd bunt it over there and run out a single but most of the time he'd just hit into the shift while trying to air it out.

[@Juanspic]

How about learning to be a better hitter?

[@scissors656]

this stratagy would'nt have worked back in the day when there were great spray hitters like rod carew; and pete rose.

[@krispyasfk2567]

Baseball was so much more interesting before moneyball and shifts.

[@keith6706]

Yeah, no. The shift was employed against Cy Williams in the first quarter of the 20th Century. Ted Williams had the shift used against him starting in 1941 (but Williams was a great enough batter he could hit opposite field and take advantage of it), and other batters who were well known as pull hitters had it used against them with up until it exploded into more general use in the 2010s. But at that point, the tactic was a century old.

[@user-zr6pl6nb6z]

@@keith6706 I don't recall these extreme shifts in the 80s or 90s.

[@Juanspic]

@@user-zr6pl6nb6z because Tony Gwynn, Biggio, Beltran, Kent, Lofton, Griffey, Ripken, O'Neil, Larkin, McGriff, Alomar, Bagwell and even Sid Bream could hit oppo. Todays hitters are becoming TRASH.

[@krispyasfk2567]

@Keith You know what I mean, shifts were not even remotely popular or used regularly even in the 90s. No one cares when they were first used, I care when they were widely implemented.

[@michaelkeenan3437]

Ok Gallos up no outs man on second is the shift on or off.

[@xiii-Dex]

I suspect the Sox are exploring this primarily to use at Fenway. It has a lot less risk there. A lot of wall ball doubles at Fenway, the SS or 3B could actually play the ball quick enough to prevent a triple (as long as he knows it's his ball, and is hustling out there on contact). Maybe it will get some use elsewhere, but I think that will be only against the most extreme pull hitters. Most hitters who traditionally were shifted against, still hit plenty of weak flyouts to the opposite field. Those become doubles with this alignment. What I'm really curious to see, is if anyone tries this against a righty. The old shift was harder to do vs. a righty because the 1B had to stay home. But this version can be used pretty close to symmetrically, depending on the speed of the batter.

[@Qwnntm]

Didn't even think about this but you're right. Often times the left fielders at Fenway have had wallballs ricochet over their heads and closer to shallow left. This strategy makes perfect sense there.

[@johnsilcox8]

The old shift to lefties was basically impossible to do to righties because the throw was impossible from short left field. It wasn't because the first baseman has to stay home. The most you could ever do on a shift to right handed hitters was put the second baseman to the left of second base slightly.

[@AverageLeagueHack]

There are maybe a handful of right-handed batters that can be thrown out from left field so I doubt it.

[@pocklecod]

Yeah interesting thought. Might be something that doesn't survive spring regardless. The stakes are just a lot higher doing this vs giving up the rare single on the old shift. Now the occasional time the shift doesn't work could cost you three bases or even all four.

[@davidswift7776]

Good point 👍

[@ryan.andersen81]

Remember when hitters uses to be able to go opposite field...good times.

[@thannon8569]

And defenses could line up however they wanted? How could they allow that? /s

[@ANonymous-mo6xp]

Remember when there was actual offense in games? The shift got totally ridiculous in the past few years, why have positions at all if players never play them.

[@alexchavez3383]

​@@ANonymous-mo6xpbecause society rewards intelligence

[@alexchavez3383]

Famous spray hitters like Jose canseco, Mark McGwire, Albert Belle, and Ken Griffey Jr Bad hitters have always been... Bad hitters

[@David_F97]

I actually don’t remember that. All I remember is players grounding into the shift all the time.

[@trollerskater]

Maybe as a PROFESSIONAL baseball player Joey Gallo can learn to hit the ball somewhere to the other 70% of the field 🤷

[@luisheredia4687]

Or bunt

[@lyndcason7516]

He was the same way when he was in Texas. He won't adjust or bunt. (I believe he actually said people don't pay to watch him bunt. They want to see him hit homers.)

[@IRanOutOfPhrases]

Another thought: I wonder about that fielding chart and if it's similar to that infamous 'survivor bias' chart with the airplane. How many easy flyouts to left field did Gallo have? Because those are all hits now.

[@andrewb378]

You are very correct. Only 19% of Gallo's outfield *hits* went to left, but how many of his outfield *outs* went to left? This analysis is assuming his outs are distributed the same way his hits are but that's not a good assumption to make at all. You can actually see this in the graph where all his hits to right at waaay right while his hits to left are clustered in shallow left. This would suggest his hits to right are scorched over the first baseman's head while his hits to left are blooped over the third baseman or between third and short. Those hits mashed into right are always going to be tough to catch because of how fast they get down, while those bloopers to left are far easier to catch because the left fielder has a lot more time to get under them. I think it's actually pretty likely that most of his outs are actually to left field rather than right, which means that by shifting like this you're going to give up a lot more hits than these charts would show.

[@andreaskallstrom9031]

Very good point. Thank you

[@AverageLeagueHack]

Lazy fly balls will still be handled by the left fielder most of the time. He'll just have to go 20 steps instead of two.

[@andrewb378]

@@AverageLeagueHack the left fielder that's currently in center field? Idk how lazy you think fly balls are but that's a long way to go.

[@IRanOutOfPhrases]

@@AverageLeagueHack what the guy above me said. I mean, sure, tje left fielder might get to a few, maybe even some, but this currently is not a complete picture

[@barques95]

What is the reason behind the shift rule? How does it improve anything - except for hopeless pull hitters? Why would you not allow a defense to align itself based on the tendencies of the hitter?

[@anthonypang7927]

They should have never banned the shift, if you are not good enough to make an adjustment you are not good enough for mlb!

[@Typzical]

@Sam0 B00 You must not be able to think or make change. You clearly cant adjust to anything as simple as...hitting the ball...the other way.

[@cincinnatipicker]

Thank you for breaking this down, the strategies are fascinating to me!

[@locomojoboy2]

I get the new pitch clock, but what’s the reason for the shift rule? Something like that directly affects a team’s strategy.

[@guyray1504]

Some guy will never learn to hit the other field. I once played slow pitch softball with a guy who could not hit to the right side of second. I tried to teach him but he never would. The next year he played for another team and when we played them I would have our right fileder,center and second baseman all in left field. He still would and couldn't hit to the right side.

[@hadenmcrainey4134]

Some might think this would end in disaster for the defense… but hitters have shown an obvious lack of ability to adjust in the past with the previous shifts. My guess is that teams will continue to experiment with stuff like this and eventually we will see crazier shifts than before the rule change. If hitters won’t adjust, this is inevitable.

[@TheRealKilgoreTrout]

The math changes completely in this positioning. Abandoning left field will prove disastrous.

[@jcpenny3606]

When teams can't win on talent, they resort to these kind of tricks.

[@naverilllang]

​@@jcpenny3606 the shift exploits a lack of talent in the batter. They're just playing smarter. It should be up to the batter to hit around it

[@jcpenny3606]

@@naverilllang The pitcher already has so much advantages before the shift schemes. Why do you think only a handful of great batters could average over .300 a year? This means, a very good player will need to go 1 for 4 every game (plus some 2 for 4 at bats here and there) just to achieve a .300 batting average. What other sports have such a low percentage to be considered a great player? Can you image a basketball player with a .250 field goal percentage, or an NFL QB with that same completion percentage. They wouldn't even make their high school varsity teams, let alone pro ball. Instead of giving more to the pitcher and the defense, why not instead move the pitching mound back another 15 feet and let the batter use aluminum bats. I'm sure most fans would prefer to see players hitting .500 and 100 home runs, than watching Greg Maddux or Clayton Kershaw pitch 7 scoreless innings.

[@darvish2012]

For Gallo's sake, I sure hope he continues to hit to right field in spring training.

[@alonzobean1]

Let's play pepper. A good hitter will tear this up. The ego will play a big part like it always has. I never understood why hitters didn't take advantage. They shift virtually gave a good hitter the opportunity to hit close to or better than 400.

[@ronpeacock9939]

I remember when I played in HS... not being able to take the ball the other way would get you benched... I loved seeing the shift when I hit lefty... because I could inside-out a pitch really well to LF... only a few hits and they stop shifting... learn to use the 90 degrees the rules give you and it won't be a problem.

[@jawbone78]

When you played in high school you weren't facing high 90s, and if you did somehow face a phenom with a 90+ fastball at that level you couldn't hit him at all, much less take him the other way, so give me a break. There is no sadder, more pathetic sentence than one that starts with "when I played in high school..."

[@AlexE5250]

@@jawbone78 The point isnt that Ron Peacock thinks hes a better hitter than Joey Gallo becasue Ron can hit both ways, and Joey only pulls the ball. That's not what hes saying. He's saying that the shift isn't going to ruin baseball and it won't be a probglem becasue all the best hitters can and will learn ot hit against it. If High schoolers can learn to hit both ways agaisnt high school level pitching, then surely the best hitters in the world can learn to hit both ways against professional pitching. And lots of the top lefty propsects can hit to opposite field. becasue in the minors for the past several season they have practiced that because they see how the shift in the MLB will make thier life difficult and prevent them form making it to the show. The game evolves and players adapt as new strategies and skills beocme prominent.

[@ronpeacock9939]

@@jawbone78 Ahh, another debbie downer.. you're right, I never faced the 90+MPH guy.. of course in the majors, most didn't throw that fast either.. though I did catch one who was close.. Sadly, injuries ended his aspirations in college... but I still used to hit well off him playing local town-ball leagues.. still, the fact that they are throwing that hard means it should be easy to go the other way... look at how the Yankee RH hitters go the other way to abuse that short porch... so why can't LH hitters do the same to abuse MIA Left Fielders? Your argument holds the same water as a collander... NONE.. acually, disproves itself.

[@LoopHoleLeeRoy]

Lol the baseball community is so toxic.

[@edomarpez1840]

@@jawbone78 Yes there is. In fact you just spewed a few of them

[@oldfarmer9004]

Pitch clock and the shift rule is going to be interesting to watch. If they put that shift on, why not just bunt down third base line if you can? Getting on base is more important than padding your stats, if you’re interested in winning and not just getting more money in your next contract! I like baseball. It’s changed and morphed over the years. As a little kid it didn’t seem to make sense to have a “designated hitter.” Now…meh, ok. But there have been some pretty good pitchers that were also decent place hitters too. Someone that CAN lay down a bunt and get on base ( Greg Maddux was one of them.) Keep changing it up and keep us watching. $$$

[@thunderkitty73]

because most of those guy have no idea how to bunt. They aren't paid to bunt so they never do it.

[@CasiodorusRex]

Pitch clock rule is dumb. imagine being a woman attending a game with a packed house. She could miss 2-3 complete innings by going to the bathroom. Same with going to get food.

[@rickrose5377]

They're also pitching into the shift. If that's the way they're going to defend Gallo (or players like him), the pitchers will be under instructions never to work the outer part of the plate--never to work him away, in other words. (Unless it's SO far outside that it's unhittable.) Kyle Schwarber will be another test case, though I think Schwarber is better able to adjust.

[@rumblehat4357]

That’s a fact that keeps getting ignored. If they shift on you, you have to know where the pitch is going to be to force you to hit into the shift. If he can’t do something about that knowing the pitch location already, then let him keep getting out. A big problem is nobody wants to bunt anymore. So they don’t learn it.

[@mattc3169]

Smart managers getting around the rules which will absolutely still suck for the hitters. The key is to learn how to hit to all fields!

[@srellison561]

The biggest difference to the new "shift" is that there is a huge gap in right center field and down the right field line is pretty open.

[@FUGP72]

Both this shift and the old infield shift only works when you have idiot hitters. Both are VERY easily defeated by any hitter willing to take a few minutes each day practicing situational hitting.. But modern hitters won't do that. They don't pay them enough to practice. And whether you bunt for a base hit against the old infield shift, or you shorten you swing and go to a bloop double/triple down the line against the outfield shift, you are going to severely decrease the one stat the all the morons in the game care about...exit velocity. They would rather hit a 113 MPH double play ball than get an 88 MPH bloop triple.

[@briangarrett3668]

I was thinking that watching the video. Especially that gap in right center could become a real issue.

[@thereisnosuchthingasanativ904]

If it was that easy everyone would do it. Why don’t you go play and hit an oppo bloop double for him to show him then? Lol Listen to yourself

[@scottharris9526]

​@thereisnosuchthingasanativeamerican mic These are professional hitters. They have the best coaches teaching them how to hit. They could easily learn to hit oppo. They don't because it's not what the non baseball fan wants to see. They only want to see the homerun.

[@FUGP72]

@@thereisnosuchthingasanativ904 Uhhhh...little boy...you do realize that purposely hitting to the opposite field was VERY common prior to, say, 20 years ago, right? It IS very easy when given an ENTIRE field to do it. It was only silence dumb fucks like you who never played any sport because you were never picked in gym class..not even last...started hilariously believing bullshit stats like "exit velocity" meant a fucking thing and batters started swinging as hard as they could regardless of the game situation that the shift even became a thing. even SLUGGERS could go the other way if given an entire field to do so. Nobody would DARE shift on Mike Schmidt because it would have been an easy base hit or double.

[@lawrencewestby9229]

You mean major leaguers might have to learn to hit to more than one side? The horror! (Yes, sarcasm.)

[@randyschultz197]

Gallo has been in the Bigs for 8 years , he hasn't hit to opposite field in the past, to break the shift. Why would this year be any different?

[@jamescolquhoun9200]

Like Mr. Baseball (Tom Selleck) - I hope the Twins show Gallo the hole in his existing swing. Not too late to learn.

[@guyincognito210]

Right center looks juicy. And left, you have to consider it doesn't have to be a good hit(your spray chart shows hits in a traditional defense) to left. Anything in the air is a double minimum. So if Gallo had 20 weak flyouts to left those are all extra bases now. This wont work.

[@itsmealex8959]

Praying teams will start teaching their hitters the backwards-step swing. Instead of a normal forward step, you move your back foot behind you, putting you at a 45 degree angle to the ball and have an easier time popping a ball into left field. My college club team tried this and worked wonders.

[@dannyosullivan4247]

That's called cricket, referred to as a cut shot or back foot cover drive.

[@philipdileo3750]

It’s pathetic how 1 dimensional baseball players have become. No one knows how to bunt, hit behind the runner for a hit and run, hit a singe to opposite field to get on base. It’s all fundamental. Its sad a guy can strike out 200x a yr now and it’s np 🤦🏻

[@oldatarigamer]

I can see them doing this all year, because the lefties really haven't adjusted to the shift and probably still wont. The question is whether this alignment is too risky with men on base. I can see teams dropping out of this with men on because it'd be a real risk to leave left field undefended.

[@danbance5799]

If you're so limited as a hitter that you can't take advantage of that shift, why are you in the big leagues? A lazy fly ball to left field becomes an automatic double/triple. Although looking at Gallo's stats, he's a bit of a head scratcher. A power hitting utility guy with a dreadful batting average.

[@yankeegrey2810]

The comparison of Yordan's spray chart to Gallos made me laugh so hard.

[@Qwnntm]

difference between good hitter and elite hitter

[@robotman8444]

@@Qwnntm good? gallo is not a good hiiter

[@yankeegrey2810]

@@Qwnntm more like difference between elite hitter and pile of dirty laundry. Gallo holds the bat upside down half the time, he's so useless.

[@briangarrett3668]

@@yankeegrey2810 personally and I think your also helping me make my point in that even with Gallo that's nine times he's going to get a guaranteed double at least. That can be game changers each and every one. How many times will teams risk a game to get one guy out. And if they are actually good and not a Gallo level guy how many times will they actually try it against good and great hitters. I think the OF shift will be an afterthought sooner than later and if it does work MLB will just not allow it anymore which has been already stated depending how this all plays out.

[@yankeegrey2810]

@@briangarrett3668 I think they're only going to do this for hitters as bad as Gallo. He can't hit to left field to save his life. He won't be taking advantage of that kind of shift

[@deepghetto8968]

What was the result of the AB?

[@LoopHoleLeeRoy]

K-E2-E9-E5-R

[@deepghetto8968]

@TheSteveStudios A strikeout, three errors and a run? What?

[@IRanOutOfPhrases]

Even with Gallo, that shift seems pretty high risk, haha. If it goes wrong, the penalty is much steeper now. It's not just a bunt-on single anymore. Maybe the 'expected average' numbers work out to where statistically its still the optimal move to shift like that, but you're right in that you're now talking about how its guaranteed double, maybe a triple, hey, maybe an in-the-parker when he does inevitably hit it to left field.

[@tfergii88]

It is physically improbable that shift hitters will hit the ball to the opposite side of the outfield due to the way their wrist motions when following through on each swing. Yes, it will still happen, most likely only when the batter force-ably goes out of their comfort zone to swing the bat at a different stride. This is why the shift is trying to be removed, but as you see the rule can still be taken advantage of because the batter is in a lose-lose situation: Hit the ball comfortably into the shift or try to adjust your natural swing.

[@dirtyschoolclothes7260]

Gallo barely makes contact and when he does he pulls...it's not really a risk with him, he either strikeouts,walks, or pulls

[@CasiodorusRex]

I'm sure they have analystics on ever player. I think the league needs to ban the outfield shift too. People want to see action.

[@IRanOutOfPhrases]

@@tfergii88 "physically improbable" is kind of a nonsense phrase, haha. I probably didn't do a good enough job stating it, but yes, I'm sure it's a rare phenomenon, but "physically improbably" still means a non-zero chance. And there's a massive difference between 0% and ever so slightly larger than 0% chance. So yeah, going by expected values, it probably pays out to shift. But inevitably, a team will get burned on it. And its gonna be extra ouchy when that happens, if I may use technical terms here.

[@roger80465]

These are professional hitters. A slug bunt toward 3rd gets him at least 2 and maybe 3 bases. If he can't adjust to do that, he's not a professional hitter. He's a lazy hitter who won't adjust to help his team.

[@CasiodorusRex]

Just do this. Draw lines on the field. Divide the infield in 4 sections and the outfield into 3 sections and state that one player must occupy each section before the ball is pitched. This will end the shift.

[@Parlimant_Strifey]

Joey needs to just learn how to hit to the left field. He doesn't have to be one of those non-left field hit turners.

[@tatum32]

Outlaw this as well. Play like the legends did. No gold gloves for shift fielders. Baseball blatantly try’s to cheat the sport!!

[@rossmurray6849]

I cannot see any justification for this rule change. I want to see an ongoing "arms race" of tactics between batters and pitchers. If an infield shift makes a batter ineffective they should adjust to take advantage of the opportunities that opens up for them.

[@jeffthewhiff]

When I first heard of Major League Baseball changing the rule for "playing a shift" I thought that they would eliminate the ability for a manager to play the shift, but I like that the new shift rule will still allow the outfielders to play anywhere they want in the outfield.

[@GDaddyTx]

Imagine the frustration of a hitter who can’t hit left with that alignment…lol. Gallo will strike out trying to push it to left..

[@alexrouault7421]

There's a huge hole behind the 2nd baseman. Would they be better off playing the 1st basman more towards 2nd, RF shallow to the right side of him and CF deeper in right field? * * *@ * * * * @ @ @

[@roopan1968]

What really blows my mind is that somebody actually pays Joey Gallo to play baseball.

[@michaelkeenan3437]

I would rather watch Gallo play baseball then watch Hockey!

[@roopan1968]

@@michaelkeenan3437 What a bold revelation.

[@dannyosullivan4247]

I agree, I still can't believe anyone paid him more than league minimum. He certainly doesn't deserve it. Perhaps it was a gamble that banning the shift would see him bounce back. How can he be allowed to take up a spot in the lineup striking out as much as he does?

[@wv4776]

Man I HATE the shift rule change. And I really don’t think it’s going to make baseball play any better. I think it’s going to encourage players like Gallo to continue unwanted habits of going home run or bust because they know that as long as they hit it hard they have a good chance of making it through the infield. Which is going to make pitchers more afraid than they were back when the shift was a thing and it’s going to lead to more walks and strikeouts since pitchers won’t want balls in play. What baseball needs is to return to larger fields where there is more ground to cover for fielders which would lead to an increase in BABIP but also a decrease in home runs. Which would mean pitchers wouldn’t be terrified of throwing balls for guys to hit. Also it would make the shift less effective because if a player used the shift against the defense on a bigger field it could easily be turned into a triple or better. But of course that requires the batter to actually have basic baseball skills to use the entire field. I think it would encourage more variety in play styles and more action during the game. But of course it would be expensive af to actually make the fields bigger

[@chrisose4585]

Thank god I finished playing baseball before all these new rules.

[@stephkent2736]

Do you start teaching power bunting so players can slam the ball down the left field line like Robinson Cano?

[@willg3011]

Nope you just teach them to stay the same the shift was mostly for the guys who have little bat control to that side of the field to get hits, or the power to that side is weak. That's all gone now because now those lazy mishit fly balls are hits doubles and triples because you have nobody in that area to defend so short loopers ar e going to drop in / bounce or role all the way to the wall. This isn't going to last long major league hitters can hit to all fields they just can't get hits to all fields big difference.

[@garyharper2943]

If he can’t hit a fly to left he should be sent back to the minors!

[@drinkxyz]

Hitters not adjusting is the lamest part of modern baseball.

[@The_Omegaman]

The fact that the batter cant slap it to left field is on him. Bad hitter

[@AEMoreira81]

The defense is to learn to hit the ball to the opposite field .

[@ColbyePresents]

*No ones ever been able to do that.*

[@ghostarray6022]

Comparing Joey Gallo to Yordan Alvarez is kinda unfair my man lol

[@poppinpatty2507]

I don’t like how MLB took away the shift but I don’t make up the rules, I’m still excited for the upcoming season. Great video, very interesting!

[@quiveringmoist7558]

Buck Showalter mentioned this last year, if the league bans infielders from shifting we will just shift outfielders.

[@CasiodorusRex]

That should be banned too. People want action. The reason attendance is down is because of the shift.

[@bobbell1922]

Buck doesn't miss many tricks, does he?

[@quiveringmoist7558]

@@CasiodorusRex they're professional baseball players making 10s of millions a year. If they can't hit the opposite way than no one can

[@CasiodorusRex]

@@quiveringmoist7558 You're correct. No one can, that's why they need a rule change.

[@Typzical]

@@CasiodorusRex False, MLB players can. All of the players who arent shifted against because they can use the whole field...

[@dizoyle16]

There only a few real hitters in mlb.

[@willg3011]

You smack that ball down the left field line its triple city or inside you hit it over the shortstop instant double, you bloop over 3rd mis-hit instant hit or double the thing that's 100% different now is that the risk is 1,000% higher!. Before the only risk was a infielder out of position no big deal a single double at worst but now guys like Gallo or left handers those short mis-hit fly balls (Can of corn catches) are now doubles or better any short/loop ball hit between the shortstop and 3rd baseman is now extra bases. So that Graph is going to change because you only showed the hits show the outs because all those outs will now become hits and extra base hits. I don't see teams playing this defense much. Bottom line the shift before had the outfielders still able to make a play to all sides of the field now your going to have 0 outfielder so all those pop fly outs will become daggers to pitchers era.

[@antonhromadka9079]

This is a huge risk as opposed to the IFs being shifted. A good hitter turns a single in to a double and possibly a triple with this setup.

[@excessivelysalty_81]

I imagine if MLB decides to make a rule against this happening, they'd just say that the center fielder must have 1 outfielder on either side of them.

[@MustacheDLuffy]

Even when they invented the shift rules I already knew how you can work around them. Just have the weak side fielder play as close to 2nd base as you can and have the weak side outfielder play the shift with center field moving a little over to cover ground

[@davidswift7776]

Gallo is a strike out machine…he’s not going change his all or nothing approach I’ll be surprised if other teams don’t do this outfield shift .

[@Heathcoatman]

Yep, and players are rewarded for this type of play. A guy who hits 40 homers with a .210 batting average and 200 strikeouts gets paid way more than a guy with .290 BA, a .360 OBP but only hits 15 HRs. They would rather pay for wow factor with the fans than wins.

[@cdrum5994]

Is it really that hard to hit it to the opposite field?!?

[@tonyblaylock1309]

Why don't he just bunt down third base line?

[@martinarden9705]

The issue with this "shift" that I can see is that it doesn't seem to take into consideration the fact that Gallo is historically a flyball hitter. Even factoring in the pull aspect, there's a big gap in right center, and even a halfway decent hit ball into the power alley is probably going to be a triple. The LF (now CF) is too shallow to get to it, and the RF most likely has to field it and play a carom going away from him. If the RF gets to it and has an above average arm, he does have the momentum throwing to third, but he has to get to it in the first place.

[@michaelkeenan3437]

Great comment Martin.

[@matthewjosephthecommonsens2940]

terrible, this is what they want out of the game. teams ought to abilge

[@peterpoertner7042]

You have earned the title of "Professional Baseball Player" in all regards. Now demonstrate that professionalism by adjusting your play to the play of the defense. Folks, we can do this kind of thing all day long. Of course it isn't easy, if it was easy, anyone could do it. THAT is why you are a professional baseball player. OR, we can just throw away the silly rule that bans the shift and let the players play the game.

[@madisonic0]

I would love to see an inside the park home run or even a triple when he smokes one to left field. Even a bunt would be awesome. I hate the shift and wish hitters would adjust and bring it to an end.

[@jamedlock83]

Me too! The shift does NOT belong in baseball. The NCAA also needs to ban it as well

[@rla1000]

Agree completely.

[@TehStormOG]

@@jamedlock83 in my opinion the shift is just a symptom of the real problem which is the fact that an extremely boring and limited player like Gallo is able to consistently start in the majors. I would've liked to see the MLB try things to make players like Gallo less desirable rather than pandering to their limited skillset

[@yankeegrey2810]

Joey Gallo doesn't have the talent to adjust. That's the reason the Red Sox did it. This was hilarious.

[@MrCubFan415]

@@TehStormOG MLBPA would be mad

[@ScottTX79]

I don’t think we’ll see this type of shift much, most hitters are more proficient at hitting the ball in the air the other way than hitting it on the ground but Gallo is one of the guys that can’t do either. Plus the reward will be much higher now for beating the shift with an easy extra base hit so guys have more incentive to learn to hit to the opposite field

[@thunderkitty73]

You say this as though there hasn't been plenty of opportunity to see these type of results in the past. For years guys have had shifts put on them and still hit into them all the time.

[@robrobbins4906]

That shift looks dangerous to me. It makes the RF gap huge and down the RF line bigger. You better have very fast gold glover type in right. Not to mention the completely open LF.

[@ChrisDavisCDinSV]

If I understand the new rules, at the release of the pitch the infielders have to be in the positions that you stated Matt. But couldn't they, after the release, couldn't a team have their SS sprint to the other side of second and shift the second baseman to the 3.5 hole?

[@classicjazztbone]

You want players to move to a new position in the half a second it takes the ball to travel to the plate?

[@ChrisDavisCDinSV]

@@classicjazztbone I'm not saying I WANT them to do that. Just saying that by the letter of the rule, it is "legal".

[@bemhibbits4157]

A flare to left is a stand up triple

[@Oreo41212]

It seems like even if he hits a bloop to left field he's going to get a double. Even a flyball far enough, even if it would end in an out normally would be a triple or hr. I think it would be awesome if this resulted in inside the park home runs with no errors or crazy bounces or anything this season. It would be so funny to just watch what would be a regular single to left field turn into a homerun just because the fielders have to run to the other side of the field to get to it

[@steviesevieria1868]

Yes but you’re assuming this guy actually has the physical skills to do that. Once a pull hitter always a pull hitter.

[@naverilllang]

​@@steviesevieria1868 then maybe teams will stop signing on guys who know nothing but to bash their bats into shifts

[@steviesevieria1868]

@@naverilllang nah

[@cliffwoodbury5319]

Can U Do A Video On The History Of Shifting. And Would You Rather Have Less Rules On How A Team Shifts?! I Think All Teams Should Be Able 2 Shift How They Wish But I Have Never Paid Attention 2 This Before. I Will Be Paying Attention 2 This This Year! It Would Be Cool 2 See Teams Adjusting 2 Every Batter That Comes Up.

[@duaflip]

Either one of two things need to happen to stop this degenerate data driven shift defense imo. 1) True contact hitting makes a return where guys are focused on base hits and hitting the ball to a specific side of the field, and you have a couple power hitters who swing for the fences. 2) Outfield shift cannot have two fielders in the same section of the outfield (I.e. 2 players in right field is illegal, but one player in CF and the other in Right Center is allowed) and it’s up to umpire discretion to determine if the shift is illegal or not. I think most people would agree it’s pretty lame to watch outfielders play like this, it just does not look or feel like baseball. Clearly we didn’t like infield shifts driving offensive production (not home runs) down even MORE, so why allow an OUTFIELDER to play as an INFIELDER? Seems reasonable to me

[@CritterOverYonder]

Seems like an easy fix for MLB if they're trying to stop the shift: LF needs to play between 3B and SS. CF needs to play between SS and 2B. RF needs to play between 2B and 1B. And we're back to traditional fielding. I think this might be necessary as we could see another drop in offensive production with pitchers taking advantage of the pitch clock.

[@scott2726]

Noooo it should be illegal formation like in football!! The left fielder is out of position and its negating the the new rule! That's where the 2ndbaseman was in short rf before...SHOULD NOT BE ALOWED

[@ronniemo_1622]

I see an increase in ITPHR's. That will add excitement to this ridiculous circumvention of the rules. I say that while thoroughly enjoying Max Scherzer's weaponizing of the pitch clock.

[@davidjohnson6611]

How embarrassing that major-league hitters don't know how to go back side. I saw an interview with Ted Williams once who was a straight pull hitter. And they shifted on him also but let's be honest we're talking Ted Williams here LOL maybe America's greatest man! Considering his military service and of course Hall of Fame career in baseball and fishing

[@J_R15]

I like that, and I thought about that. I feel this shouldn’t be banned. It’s a risk the teams will be taking by trusting their analytics and they’ll pay the prize for being wrong. Makes it exciting

[@Bambino_60]

It’s trash ass water

[@pointreyes4272]

From the very beginnings of baseball, all the players, except for the catcher and pitcher, could position themselves wherever they wanted. These new rules make baseball look more like softball.

[@a.hardin620]

I think that’s too much risk defensively. A line drive to left is a guaranteed double, triple, or even an in park homer. Whereas normally, it may be a single or out. Can/won’t pro hitters adjust to take advantage of this gap? I’m sure it’s not easy but probably not impossible.

[@myutoob2011]

Players need to be able play baseball. Hit them where they ain't, run and field. Pitchers need to pitch, field and hit. Most of them won't be very good at it, but the strategy plays a bigger role. Because of the narrowing of their skill, the next dumb rule will be unlimited substitutions, so on every pitch count and situation, the managers can change the hitter, runners, pitchers, fielders, etc. like it's a football game.

[@shawnk934]

Seems only defenses are making adjustments the past decade or so. Everyone wants to pull the ball and use the launch angle swing. Seems nobody wants to hit singles and doubles anymore. Well, except for the Indians. But they only made the postseason as the youngest team in MLB. But what does Tito know?!!

[@thunderkitty73]

The shift would have NEVER been an issue if guys just relearned how to actually hit, especially the BUNT! But noooooooo these guys still go up there thinking they're just going to power through and most times they just hit right into the shift.....all because they refuse to relearn the basics of the game they get paid a fortune to play.

[@lamelama22]

I never had a problem with the shift; it's fine. If you're a 1-trick pony as a hitter and can't hit to all fields, and the defense takes advantage of that... that's on you. Baseball needs to stop trying to be like basketball and keep introducing new rules to limit the skill / strategy involved in the game to try & artificially increase scoring.

[@krisweinschenker598]

Oh Lordy...they actually made a rule against the shift??? That's idiocy! I guess all the power hitters are too proud and arrogant to hit singles, so they change the game to suit them. No wonder I hardly ever watch baseball any more

[@johnharris6655]

"Raider rule #1: Cheating is encouraged. Raider rule #2, see rule #1." Raider great Matt Millen. And what he meant was you try to find ways to exploit the rules to your advantage.

[@En0ugh_4lready]

Joey Gallo? Are you serious? Maybe the worst hitter in baseball history? That's like moving the foul line 1 inch to the right and talking about how much harder it makes it for Shaquille O'Neal shoot foul shots. He's still a terrible free throw shooter.

[@kenm7179]

I love the pitch clock and the clock on the batter, but all the rest are just gimmicks IMO. I'd also LOVE to see balls and strike calls taken away from the umpires- the technology exists to get the calls right.

[@Paul71H]

I'm glad to see teams are finding ways to work around this stupid anti-shift rule. How long will it take before MLB adds a new rule micro-managing the placement of outfielders too? Instead of telling teams where their fielders can and can't play, how about encouraging hitters to learn to hit to all parts of the field? What happened to "hit it where they ain't"?

[@furiogiunta7886]

I feel the shift only works because the hitters are so bad these days. They were taught to swing for the fences on every pitch and striking out doesn't matter. Guys like Tony Gwynn and Wade Boggs would have batted over .400 against a shift. God forbid somebody lay a bunt down the line when no defender is even there.

[@mattmcrae1458]

I heard Mike Elias say that they have 2 on their 26 that have played both infield and outfield, Frazier and Vavra. They plan to do same with left fielder. Manfred = bum. Regime Change.

[@ricoviselli]

for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. speeding up the game while creating several new games within the game may make baseball watchable. will MLB react to the outfield shift during the season or wait till next year? will lefty batters break the outfield shift by going inside out to left field where anything fair is a standup double, a bust ass triple or everybody's favorite an inside the park home run.

[@bigjared8946]

The shift wouldn't have worked pre-2000s. Hitters would have just *simply* hit the ball the other way... It would have been a joke.

[@jacobsmith3409]

Ok these are PROS and if I’m a “PRO” and the defense leaves me a gaping hole in the field well that’s where ima hit the ball . It’s like both sides have opportunities for exploitation. Bottom line too many rules

[@hersheli2229]

I disagree any major league hitting should ba able to look middle away. Just move your left foot for a lefty back two inches and go middle away. The defense is looking for a out. So if your a power hitter just do you and see what happens. At this point you know your getting a pitch in and not one you deal with well. But now you should be looking for off speed if that’s what gets you or fast ball in if that’s what you struggling with

[@curtispotts1214]

I understand that teams want to win, and this creates the most likely scenario for an out, but the players and coaches have to appreciate the spirit of this rule. Baseball with the shift is not appealing, and is not exciting to most people. Spitting in the face of the shift rule like this will only continue the type of play that is hurting baseball's popularity, and will probably more upset those folks who decided to tune in to see if the rule change made things "better". Once they see this crap, they will turn it right back off. I was excited to see some more action and offense, but I guess the actual players were not...

[@neuralbrew2976]

Let the defense play wherever they want. I think the big rule change BB needs is 3 balls not 4 for a walk. Why shouldn't the pitchers be forced to throw more strikes?

[@WinkDaMan07]

As a Yankees fan here, I gotta give credit to the Red Sox, that was actually pretty clever!! I wonder how long before Manfred updates the rule to include outfield shifts!!

[@seancharles7248]

Baseball is getting worse and worse everytime you turn around. Sad. This season is going to an even bigger clown show than last year. Soon enough it will be be unwatchable like basketball and soccer fish flopping crybaby trash ball. Sad.

[@cheogt4623]

I hated infield moving too much, I quit following baseball for some years, then I come back to follow and I see this thing, I couldn't process it, i really hated it.