Shifts Continue to Rise

This Stat of the Week has become an annual tradition. Back in April of 2013, we shared how teams were well ahead of their 2012 season paces in their defensive shifting. Last season, we did the same. Well, several weeks into this season, teams are once again on pace to dramatically exceed their previous season shift totals.

So far, teams have shifted on 1,673 balls in play. Pro-rated to a full 162-game season, that sets a pace of 18,149 shifts, which is 4,851 more than in 2014. That’s a 36 percent increase!

The Astros shifted over 500 times more than any other team in baseball in 2013, and they are once again the pace-setters this season. Already with 160 shifts this year, the Astros are on pace to dramatically increase their total to 1,728 shifts. However, this time, the Rays could make the gap between No. 1 and No. 2 a bit closer. They are on pace for 1,609 shifts.

Most of the heaviest-shifting teams from 2014 are again atop the 2015 leaderboard and are again on pace to increase their shift totals from the previous season. But that is not the only reason for the increase in shift pace. Several teams that were among the shift trailers in 2014 have made huge strides so far in 2015. The best example of that is the Rockies, who have already made 76 shifts compared to just 114 from all of last season. That change in strategy has paid off. BIS estimates they have already saved five runs with their shifting; they had just one Shift Run Saved in 2014. In addition to the Rockies, the Diamondbacks, Tigers, and Dodgers are on pace to double or nearly double their shift totals from a year ago and are currently on pace to finish in the top half of teams in total shifts.