Once upon a time, defensive shifts were the Yankees’ bugaboo. A lineup filled with plodding veteran sluggers was consistently done in by the shift, and the team’s unathletic infield didn’t take easily to the concept on defense.
Oh, how times have changed. Gone are the days of Brian McCann, Mark Teixeira and Stephen Drew smacking line drives into shallow right field only to be turned into groundball outs. Now, the Yankees are actually one of the teams least-shifted against in the majors. Not only that, but it’s a pivotal part of the team’s defensive strategy.
Major League Baseball, however, is discussing limiting or banning the shift, and has mandated that two infielders must be on either side of second base in the minor leagues this season.