Half Street High Heat  | A National Podcast

A Washington Nationals Podcast and Blog

  • Home
  • Blog
    • All
    • Nationals
    • National League East
    • MLB General
  • Podcast
  • YouTube
  • Shop
  • Contact Us
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Blog
    • All
    • Nationals
    • National League East
    • MLB General
  • Podcast
  • YouTube
  • Shop
  • Contact Us
No Result
View All Result
Half Street | A National Podcast | High Heat
No Result
View All Result
Home The Half Street High Heat Blog

The Nationals Finally Beat the Shift

By Zander (@thezandstorm)

March 5, 2023
in National League East, Nationals, The Half Street High Heat Blog
0 0
A A
0
The Nationals Finally Beat the Shift
0
SHARES
22
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Banning the defensive shift was undeniably a controversial decision amongst baseball fans. Many have differing opinions about how it affects the sport. Some fans believe that it gives batters an easier job by not having to morph their hitting style or capabilities to beat the shift. Conversely, others see it as an opportunity for defenders to showcase their abilities, as well as a way to see more hits since they won’t be so easily countered by extreme positioning. 

Regardless of how fans may feel, there are certain teams and players that will likely see a marked increase in offense from the ability to put more balls in play that will not be sent right at the outstretched gloves of defenders. While many hitters will likely benefit from this, there is one team that stands out that could possibly reap the many offensive  rewards of the lack of a defensive shift: the Washington Nationals. 

The Nats weren’t exactly an acceptable example of a team that lifted the ball last year. The team lacked pop in their bats overall, and often sent the ball across the ground of the diamond right at a shifted and prepared defender. Washington capped off the season with the second-highest ground ball percentage in all of the major leagues, keeping the ball low exactly 46% of the time. This was 2.6% higher than the Reds, who sat right in the middle of the table for ground ball percentage, and a whole 9% higher than the Dodgers, who held the lowest GB%. This percentage would lead the Nats to many inning-ending problems. 

The Nationals grounded into a league-leading 140 double plays last season. This was 24 more double plays than their NL East rival Phillies had, who ranked 15th in GIDP, and 58 more than the Texas Rangers, who had the least in MLB with 82. Washington also had an abysmal wGDP, which is an advanced statistic that FanGraphs describes as “the number of runs above or below average a player has accumulated based on their ability to stay out of double plays.” They recorded an abysmal -9.9, a full 4 points lower than the closest team, and a number that was staggeringly low compared to the Dodgers 10.4. 

The easiest fix to these issues would obviously be just to get more power at the plate through training or acquiring players that can lift the ball. Unfortunately, baseball is never really that simple. Many Nats fans will remember when Washington skipper Davey Martinez said in an interview last season that he had talked to CJ Abrams  “about just hitting hard ground balls” and encouraged the behavior that led to the Nationals double play and advanced metric woes. With it only being Spring Training currently, it’s hard to say if this mindset is still in place. If it is however, the shift ban could likely at least be somewhat of a saving grace. 

Through the Nats’ few Spring Training so far, we’ve actually seen some solid examples of this new advantage taking place. There have been several players who have snuck hits past defenders that likely would have been snuffed out if the opposing team was shifted to compensate for the hitters’ tendencies. Again I would like to reiterate that this is a small sample of cases and it is only Spring Training. It is able to instill some hope nevertheless. 

This rule change by MLB may end up being a way for Washington hitters, if Lady Luck is on their side, to grit and grind their way into more scoring chances. If they continue to keep the ball on the ground but with better placement, the Nats may have found a way to use their lineup’s lack of raw power to their advantage. While the aforementioned power disparity with better teams is still undoubtedly an issue, the shift being gone could serve as somewhat of a patch to minimally repair one of the worst problems with the offense. Scoring runs was not always a strong suit for this team last year, so maybe this change will help to ease their troubles. 

Previous Post

Washington Nationals Top 10 Prospects (5–1)

Next Post

Jarlin Susana: The Triple-Digit Teenager

Next Post
Jarlin Susana: The Triple-Digit Teenager

Jarlin Susana: The Triple-Digit Teenager

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Our Social Media Handles

Main Account: @HalfStHighHeat

Amanda – Cohost: @AWhite7877

Nick – Cohost: @TheCoachMoose

Ryan - Cohost: @WeAreAllShack

Trey – Digital Media Expert: @Reverrsse

Monty – Managing Editor: @Monty2740

Danny - Nationals Lead Writer: @Nats_Baseball

Matt - Nationals Lead Writer: @HolleranMDH

CK - MLB Lead Writer: @Cknaim58

Allison - Writer: @JuanSotoHR

Tyler – Writer: @nonrosterinvite

Where to Find Us

Main Account: @HalfStHighHeat

stitcher Half Street High Heat | A Nationals Podcast
apple podcast Half Street High Heat | A Nationals Podcast
spotify Half Street High Heat | A Nationals Podcast
youtube Half Street High Heat | A Nationals Podcast
  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest

5 Potential Relocation Spots For Rays

March 31, 2022

QUIZ: Which Member of the 2021 Washington Nationals Are You?

March 31, 2022

The Nationals Stink, BAD. But This is What You Should Have Expected

May 19, 2022

Mr. Soto or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Washington Nationals

March 31, 2022

QUIZ: Which Member of the 2021 Washington Nationals Are You?

8

What Happened to Patrick Corbin?

4

Mocking the Nationals Offseason, Early Postseason Edition

3

Mr. Soto or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Washington Nationals

2
My Top 5 World Baseball Classic Moments

My Top 5 World Baseball Classic Moments

March 22, 2023
Nats Prospects or: The Art of Tempering Expectations

Nats Prospects or: The Art of Tempering Expectations

March 20, 2023
The 5 Most Important Players in the Nationals Organization in 2023

The 5 Most Important Players in the Nationals Organization in 2023

March 15, 2023
The Deepest Outfield Farm System in Baseball

The Deepest Outfield Farm System in Baseball

March 12, 2023


The Unofficially Official Nats Podcast! News, info, and talk about the Washington Nationals. Real Nats talk for real Nats fans!

Categories

  • Home
  • Blog
  • Podcast
  • Youtube
  • Shop
  • Contact Us

Recent News

My Top 5 World Baseball Classic Moments

My Top 5 World Baseball Classic Moments

March 22, 2023
Nats Prospects or: The Art of Tempering Expectations

Nats Prospects or: The Art of Tempering Expectations

March 20, 2023

© 2021 Half Street High Heat A Nationals Podcast . | Powered By: Web Seo Wiz

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Blog
    • All
    • Nationals
    • National League East
    • MLB General
  • Podcast
  • YouTube
  • Shop
  • Contact Us

© 2021 Half Street High Heat A Nationals Podcast . | Powered By: Web Seo Wiz

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In