The infield shift will be eliminated next year. The rule change will affect all teams—but that’s particularly true of the Astros. The Astros have been the top employer of defensive shifts over the last ten years. And Astros’ batters face defensive shifts a high percentage of the time. At the risk of spoiling the plot, it is very difficult to determine how the rule change will affect the Astros.
Although this article will primarily address the offensive impact, we do have a reasonable estimate of the impact on Astros run prevention. Team Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) are shown in the Fielding Bible.