When the Heat is On

[Inside Pitch]

Inside

 

It's easy for a lefty to beat the shift, just slap a roller down the 3B line or a hard bunt to the left side. It's really hard on a righty. Even if you get it past pitcher the 2B is charging the ball from the left side and has his momentum going toward 1B. If you have average speed it'd be a close play, but Albert is slow/old/injured so that's out of the question. The only way he can beat it is by HR, line drives, work burners on the left side or routine grounders hit toward where a 2B would normally be playing.

Honestly, Albert's the perfect player at this stage in his career to deploy a shift against. Very effective.

 

 

ESPN Insider article..  http://insider.espn.go.com/blog/eric-karabell/post/_/id/3747/players-most-impacted-by-defensive-shifts

 

In 2011, only a handful of progressive teams like the Tampa Bay Rays, Milwaukee Brewers,Cleveland Indians and Toronto Blue Jays shifted even 100 times in a year. Now, teams like the Rays are more the rule than the exception. In fact, every team in baseball is on pace to exceed 100 shifts on balls in play this season. The Houston Astros have already set the record for most shifts by a team in a season with their 655 shifts to date, and it is June 19. The previous record was 595 shifts, set last season by the Baltimore Orioles. Five other teams are on pace to break the old record, as well. 

 

Albert Pujols has seen his shift % rise from 27% last year to 61% this year .  Raul Ibanez had similarly seen his shift pecrentage rise 32% to 82%, pretty crazy.   A lot of the guys that have seen their shift percentage rise are having really putrid seasons.   I know Albert has his numbers and we can all just look at them if we need a reminder of what he's done, but I don't see teams changing their approach unless he does.

Edited June 25, 2014 by Inside Pitch

[19HALO71]

Albert would say:

 

"You no pay me to bunt"

[fan_since79]

It's easy for a lefty to beat the shift, just slap a roller down the 3B line or a hard bunt to the left side. It's really hard on a righty. Even if you get it past pitcher the 2B is charging the ball from the left side and has his momentum going toward 1B. If you have average speed it'd be a close play, but Albert is slow/old/injured so that's out of the question. The only way he can beat it is by HR, line drives, work burners on the left side or routine grounders hit toward where a 2B would normally be playing.

Honestly, Albert's the perfect player at this stage in his career to deploy a shift against. Very effective.

 

Terry and Mark were saying on the broadcast last weekend that no player in baseball has beaten the shift more this year than Albert Pujols.

 

Strange but true.

[Glen]

F*ck it, let's bunt!

 

 

[Stradling]

a sac bunt maybe...he for sure is done hitting.

i miss plantar pujols from last season :/

Yep, you have to go all the way back to April 2014 to find a great hitting Albert, that's like 2 months, he must be done hitting.

[laagamer]

He's been trying to go to right a lot more often lately.

 

Can we please just up and admit that he's not vintage Albert anymore and has become a virtually exclusive pull-hitter? 

 

EDIT: I'd love to see the metrics on hits per balls put in play to the right side. 

Edited June 25, 2014 by laagamer

[Stradling]

Ok, I will admit it, even though I never said he was vintage Albert.

[Hollyw00d]

Pujols? Bunting? Lmao

[Revad]

My point was he could do this if his ego wasn't in the way, and it's not just him. Players are getting paid to win games. While Monkey had some good points, I' m sorry, if the shift is on it's not that tough to push a bunt past the pitcher if the player can control the bat. Guess I expect that for $25M a year.

Guess I'm way outside the box, talking about egos and having outrageous expectations.

[Revad]

I'm expected to evolve, grow and produce in my job and life, I expect that from Albert and all players. They do this for a living for Christ's sake.

[arch stanton]

 If pushing a bunt past the pitcher was that easy then Aybar would be hitting .600. Did you see the swing he took to give them the lead that they blew the other day? That's more doable.

Edited June 25, 2014 by arch stanton

[Lou]

Have you ever seen Pujols bunt? I haven't. I'd be shocked if he ever bunts.

When was the last time you saw Hamilton, Trout or Cron bunt?

[Revad]

I know I could not do it, and I think Aybar is good, but it's not hard to predict that Pujols will get a low and away pitch in a key situation, which he could drop down.

Please tell me outright I shouldn't expect a MLB player to be complete.

[HaloNation]

Yep, you have to go all the way back to April 2014 to find a great hitting Albert, that's like 2 months, he must be done hitting.

Not sure If serious

The last time he was great was in 2010