Rangers SS Corey Seager Benefits Most from Shift Ban
With the defensive shift now outlawed for the 2023 season, many pull hitters will likely benefit from the rules change.
But at least one site believes that Texas Rangers shortstop Corey Seager may benefit the most.
But how much better could Seager be without the shift? MLB.com attempted to figure it out.
For example, Seager’s performance Sept. 25 against Cleveland. Seager hit a pitch 108 miles per hour. Since 2015, MLB.com pointed, a hit with that velocity was fell in safely 95 percent of the time. Instead, Guardians second baseman Tyler Freeman was playing deep in the outfield grass, an estimated 174 feet away, and made the catch.
In 2023, teams won’t be able to do that. Defenses won’t be able to load up three infielders on one side of the field. Plus, Freeman won’t be able to play on the outfield grass.
But what’s the difference to Seager? Well, MLB.com cited Statcast and noted that if there was no shift last season that Seager would have 20 more hits, the most of any MLB player.
In that scenario, Seager would have gone from being a .245 hitter to a .278 hitter.
There is a lot to the data that MLB.com pulled. For instance, it found that defenses shifted on Seager 93 percent of the time, that he made contact with 481 pitches against a shift and pulled 107 ground balls into the shift, most of any MLB player. Second was Charlie Blackmon, who did it 86 times.
There appears to be clear evidence that if Seager hits in 2023 the way he hit in 2022, the removal of the shift will benefit him, and by extension the Rangers offense.
The Rangers committed their biggest contract in franchise history to Seager (10 years, $325 million) last offseason.
Seager was an All-Star, but an injury replacement, and participated in the All-Star Game Home Run Derby. He finished the season batting .245/.317/.455/.772 with 33 home runs and 83 RBI in 151 games. He also had 24 doubles, one triple and 58 walks. He also struck out 103 times.
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