Around the Majors - 2022 Version

Shifts can be very annoying, but is this really what baseball should be focusing on? Are they also going to outlaw intentional walks?

Shifts will promote more in-game action. They addressed IBB by not having to throw the four pitches which was a great change.

Hopefully the age of the player being all or nothing will come to an end and value bat to ball skills much more.
 
Olson probably benefits most on the Braves. Harris as well.

I still remember when the shift first started gaining prominence. McCann and Teixeira were screwed

Think even Acuna will benefit. How many 100+ EV GB's does he hit to the left side?
 
Olson probably benefits most on the Braves. Harris as well.

I still remember when the shift first started gaining prominence. McCann and Teixeira were screwed

For sure, guys like Olson, Freeman, Harris will be rewarded for the new shift rules. But there are so many hitters now days that are really pull happy. So there is going to be plenty of hits to go around.
 
Shifts will promote more in-game action. They addressed IBB by not having to throw the four pitches which was a great change.

Hopefully the age of the player being all or nothing will come to an end and value bat to ball skills much more.

But an intentional walk is as much a defensive strategy as a shift is. Taking away the shift, it seems to me, would only promote a hitter’s ability to be all or nothing.
 
Pitch Timer: A Pitch Timer will improve pace of play and reduce dead time. The Pitch Timer Regulations include the following provisions:
A pitcher must begin his motion before the expiration of the timer. Pitchers will have up to 15 seconds between pitches when the bases are empty and up to 20 seconds between pitches with at least one runner on base. Testing in the Minor Leagues involved 14 seconds with the bases empty and 18 seconds (19 seconds in Triple-A) with at least one runner on base.
A pitcher may disengage the rubber (timer resets) twice per plate appearance without penalty.
Subsequent disengagements result in a balk, unless an out is recorded on a runner.
The disengagement count resets if the runner advances; testing in the Minors had no reset until the following plate appearance.
A hitter must be in the batter’s box and alert to the pitcher with at least eight seconds remaining. Testing in the Minor Leagues included nine seconds remaining.
A hitter receives one timeout per plate appearance.
Umpires will have authority to provide additional time if warranted by special circumstances (e.g., the catcher makes the last out of the inning and needs additional time to get into defensive position).
KEY STATS:
Compared to last season, the Pitch Timer has reduced the average nine-inning game time by 26 minutes (from 3:04 in 2021 to 2:38 in 2022) while increasing action on the field.
Stolen base attempts per game have increased from 2.23 in 2019, at a 68% success rate, to 2.83 in 2022, at a 77% success rate.
In its most recent week of play, Minor League Baseball has averaged just 0.45 Pitch Timer violations per game.
Defensive Shift Restrictions: A set of restrictions will return the game to a more traditional aesthetic by governing defensive shifts, with the goals of encouraging more balls in play, giving players more opportunities to showcase their athleticism, and offsetting the growing trend of alignments that feature four outfielders:
Lateral Positioning: Two infielders must be positioned on each side of second base when the pitch is released.
Depth: All four infielders must have both feet within the outer boundary of the infield when the pitcher is on the rubber.
No Switching Sides: Infielders may not switch sides unless there is a substitution.
KEY STAT: Defensive alignments that feature four players in the outfield increased nearly 6x across MLB since the start of the 2018 season.
Bigger Bases: With the goal of improving player safety, the size of first, second, and third base will increase from the standard 15” square to 18” square.
Bigger bases are expected to have a positive impact on player health and keeping Major Leaguers on the field.
KEY STAT: Base-related injuries decreased by 13.5% in the Minor Leagues this season, including declines at every level of the Minors.
Bigger bases will reduce the distance between first and second and between second and third base by 4.5”, thereby encouraging offensive Clubs to attempt to steal bases more frequently and generally to be more aggressive on the basepaths.
 
Think even Acuna will benefit. How many 100+ EV GB's does he hit to the left side?
Hitters in general will benefit. But the effect will be disproportionately in favor of slow left handed hitters.

For context, Mark Simon noted the other day that Corey Seager had net 26 hits (!) taken away by the shift. I think the impact will be pretty dramatic for some guys.
 
Shifts can be very annoying, but is this really what baseball should be focusing on? Are they also going to outlaw intentional walks?

I liked the V solution where they had the two lines around second base and you just had to keep the middle clear and two on each side at the start of the pitch.

Does this decision make Dansby more valuable.....I think yes.

We just do not know what the Braves metrics are on his defense and what they expect his decline to be.
We also do not know what the Braves think the delta is between Grissom and Dansby.

Not being a scout, I think Grissom has shown enough for me at 2B that I don't think he'll be Alex Bohm at SS. In negotiations the most powerful thing you can do is have a good back up option. If Grissom playing below avg SS and a 800+ (?) OPS is your back up, what are you paying for all of those SS.

I think from a pure negotiating standpoint you do what Enscheff has said. You offer all of those guys a short term, high annual value deal and you see who bites first or who is left in the game of musical chairs. If nobody does you use Grissom and improve the team elsewhere.
 
Hitters in general will benefit. But the effect will be disproportionately in favor of slow left handed hitters.

For context, Mark Simon noted the other day that Corey Seager had net 26 hits (!) taken away by the shift. I think the impact will be pretty dramatic for some guys.

To be fair... shifts will still exist, but be less-pronounced. An IF will still be playing up the middle regularly, and guys will move into position as soon as they legally can get away with it. The biggest difference will be the 4th OF spot that Riley often fills. That will not be insignificant, but teams will adjust.
 
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