The Royals have been embracing defensive shifts this year, after long resisting it, with manager Ned Yost seemingly voice his support on the new strategy. Early on, the shifts seemed to work - the Royals tied for the most runs saved due to the shift in the first month of the season.
But lately, Yost’s support for shifts seems to be wavering. In Baltimore a few weeks ago, Jeffrey Flanagan wrote how the Royals weren’t shifting quite as much anymore. Yost suggested it was because the stats in favor of shifting were exaggerated, and he tried to explain why.