After an offseason of speculation about how the new shift restrictions would affect the on-field product in 2023, the New York Mets finally got their first taste of two fielders on each side of the infield upon the pitcher’s release. At least on the offensive side, the initial results were positive. In the Mets’ 5-2 Grapefruit League victory over the Miami Marlins in the nightcap,...
The MLB season is only 50 days away, and with that will come some brand new rules the league is rolling out for the 2023 season. As a refresher, here are the three big changes we will be seeing this upcoming season. Pitch Timer To help increase pace of play, MLB will implement a 30-second timer between batters and a shorter time limit between pitches. Pitchers must now begin their motion 15...
There’s a lot of speculation and hoopla around the limitations on the infield shift and how it may affect various hitters. Earlier this week, I speculated about how the rule changes might impact various Mets’ hitters. There has been less chatter about how the changes will affect specific pitchers, though. At the request of some commenters on the hitting article, let’s dive into...
One of the more highly-anticipated changes of the 2023 baseball season is the limitation of the shift. Since its widespread inception at the beginning of the 2010s, batting averages have plummeted, leading to a further emphasis on home runs and launch angle. Batting average with balls in play (BABIP) became too risky to rely on, as teams took advantage of batters’ inability to “hit...
Note: All statistics cited in this article are current through the All-Star Break. Over the past several seasons, the Mets have earned the reputation of being a below average defensive team. Indeed, while defensive metrics are notoriously fickle, the underlying numbers back up that sentiment. For example, from 2017 through 2020, the Mets ranked 29th, 26th, 26th and 25th, respectively, in...
