What is beating the shift in baseball?

Jun 28, 2016·2 min read. There’s an MLB hitter who has beaten the shift 14 times this season. By “beaten the shift,” we mean that he put a ball in play which would have normally been an out if the defense was positioned in their typical fashion, but due to the shift, it became a hit.

What does against the shift mean?

Used primarily against left-handed batters, it is designed to protect against base hits pulled hard into the gaps between the fielders on one side. Originally called the Williams shift, it has periodically been referred to as the Boudreau shift or Ortiz shift since then.

Does the shift really work in baseball?

According to MLB’s Statcast data, teams shifted 12.1 percent of the time in 2017. Last year, that number rose to 34.1 percent. Only one team, Atlanta, shifted on fewer than 18 percent of plate appearances. Turning those outs back into hits would result in an increase of less than 1.5 percent in a typical season.

Which baseball team started the shift?

The truth is that the shift was created nearly 90 years before Tampa Bay would install this defensive tactic in modern-day baseball. In the 1920’s Phillies outfielder, Cy Williams had such immense pull power that opposing managers positioned their outfielders in right field, and extremely deep.

When did MLB start using the shift?

It’s generally believed that Indians player-manager Lou Boudreau invented the shift — it was even called “the Boudreau Shift” — but as Glenn Stout notes in Red Sox Century, the first to use a shift against Williams was White Sox manager Jimmy Dykes, on July 23, 1941.

Why do infielders shift?

Defensive players normally move around a bit within their normal positions. Infielders move closer to the plate against fast batters and further from the plate against slower runners. Outfielders move closer to the plate against hitters with little power and further back against ones with more power.

Who started the shift?

The History Of The Shift The truth is that the shift was created nearly 90 years before Tampa Bay would install this defensive tactic in modern-day baseball. In the 1920’s Phillies outfielder, Cy Williams had such immense pull power that opposing managers positioned their outfielders in right field, and extremely deep.

Who created the shift?

How much more likely is the ball to hit against shifts?

But with the shift on, batters are even more likely to hit the ball in the air. The average launch angle against the shift last season was 14.7 degrees, a notable jump up from 13.1 in 2015. Batters who put at least 40 balls in play against shifts in each of the last two seasons.

How often do batter hit ground balls against the shift?

In 2011, batters hit ground balls 53.2 percent of the time when they put a ball in play against the shift. Last season that number was 43.9 percent, which is the lowest such rate since at least 2010, the first year for which data is available on FanGraphs. When batters are not facing shifts, ground-ball rates have remained steady.

What is the point of the shift in baseball?

The entire point of the shift, as it’s generally understood, is to take away singles by positioning an extra infielder where one wouldn’t have been before. While it gives some singles back by moving fielders out of their usual positions, or by allowing some easy bunt hits for those who dare to take them, it does this part of its job well.

Why are ground-ball rates dropping against the shift?

The drop in ground-ball rates against the shift suggests that more players are trying to bypass the infielders altogether by knocking one over their heads. Not all hitters try to adapt — Bryce Harper, for example, has a career 1.4 ground-ball-to-fly-ball ratio both when facing a shift and when not facing a shift.