[OminousFlames]

Originally Posted by Harry Lime

With the Blue Jays purchase of Chapman, it had me wondering about the shift. It will definitely benefit him as a hitter. I think that he would still be in the big leagues because of his plus plus defense.

I'm actually not a fan of banning the shift. I think that it exposed deficient hitters, and it was up to them to alter their game. If you are a pure pull hitter and can't drive to the other side, or even bunt, you are a lesser hitter. Guys that called out the shift as 'ruining the game', like Joey Gallo, mean that it really ruined the game for them, because they should be almost replacement level if they can't pull every hit.

A small thing, but sort of irritating, as it would have worked itself out in a couple of years, as players like Gallo lost their jobs to people that could adapt, or excelled elsewhere in the game.

As an A's fan, the banning of the shift definitely benefits Olson more than Chapman. The rule benefits left handed batters more than right handed ones.