McInnis said:
LonghornDub said:
Homers aren't the only exciting things in baseball. The shift has increased the value of learning to hit to the oppo field, and it's an art itself.
That's true, but how many batters have taken advantage of that? Not many. Yeah, Michael Brantley won a game for the Astros by doing it last might, but he's in a small minority. I can't wait until it's gone.
They weren't really shifted vs. Brantley. Both 3B & SS were in their typical spots, but shaded to the middle a bit. Teams don't typically shift on Brantley because he's such a good hitter who sprays the ball around.
That being said, I wholeheartedly agree that hitters need to try to hit away from the shift more often. Sure, the analytics allegedly say that swinging for bombs is more efficient but I'd contend that the ability to slap a base hit away from the shift forces pitchers to alter the way they pitch. They make more pitches, generally try to get too perfect, and when they do that is when they're more likely to make a mistake which the hitter then deposits into the cheap seats.
