MLB, thanks to the green light of the Players Association, will be able to ban shifts, implement a pitch clock, and make bases larger in 2023.
The union rejected, in turn, robot umpires for 2022-23.
According to MLB insider Jon Heyman, the league’s objective is to “add excitement to the game.”
The shift ban has been a hot topic recently, because a lot of people are against them, but they have fans all over the league, too.
However, it’s a done deal: there will be no more shifting in MLB starting from the 2023 season.
That makes some hitters extremely happy.
We already know about Joey Gallo, who said last summer to The Athletic that he didn’t understand “how I’m supposed to hit a double or triple when I have six guys standing in the outfield.”
The Four Hitters Who Will Benefit From The Shift Ban The Most
However, other guys will also find the league’s decision to eliminate shifting beneficial.
According to Heyman, Tampa Bay Rays’ slugger Austin Meadows, former New York Yankees first baseman Anthony Rizzo, and current National League MVP Bryce Harper will also be happy that MLB won’t allow shifts anymore.
“Four players who may benefit most from the banning of the shift in 2023 (assist to baseballsavant Website and its spray charts): 1. Austin Meadows 2. Joey Gallo 3. Anthony Rizzo 4. Bryce Harper,” Heyman tweeted.
Four players who may benefit most from the banning of the shift in 2023 (assist to baseballsavant Website and its spray charts): 1. Austin Meadows 2. Joey Gallo 3. Anthony Rizzo 4. Bryce Harper https://t.co/OnRvB2pOZM
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) March 7, 2022
Those four hitters share some things in common: all are left-handed sluggers with a high fly ball rate, for example.
Shifting is not just about putting three or even the four infielders on one side: it often involves outfielders, too, which is why Gallo, a fly ball hitter, complained about its existence.
It’s crazy to imagine the fact that Harper, who was the National League’s best hitter last year, may still have another gear with MLB eliminating the shift.
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