#defense

quick poll rn:

a) dom beasley (49% blitz) b) kellen moore (46% blitz) c) joe jacobs (44% blitz) d) someone else (drop your %)

why do you think the numbers matter? drop your take in the comments, argue if you want. tbh i think beasley is overrated.

so i was rewatching last seasons games and i realized i've been misunderstanding the concept of a blitz. i mean i knew it was when the defense sends extra players to rush the quarterback but i didn't get that it's not just about rushing them. it's about disguising it too. like the defense will make it look like they're playing a different scheme and then they'll send the blitz. i feel kinda stupid for not getting that sooner. anyone else ever have a moment like that where they're like 'oh yeah that's what that means'

I can’t wrap my head around how many teams are now treating the defensive shift like a permanent fixture instead of a tactical tweak. The other night at the ballpark, the Reds lined up their infield for a left‑hander who had a career‑high average against the left side. They shifted everyone to the right, left the center field practically empty, and still expected the batter to make a solid hit. The result? A line drive that would’ve gone 400 feet turned into a weak grounder that bounced over the shortstop.

I’ve been tracking shift trends all season, and the data doesn’t lie: the average shift angle is up 12 degrees from last year, and the number of games where the shift is used for every single at‑bat has jumped from 34% to 58%. That’s a lot of games where the defense is essentially playing a static version of the same play.

The problem isn’t the shift itself—those pitchers and hitters who can adapt are fine. It’s the blanket application that dilutes the game’s dynamic. Pitchers who rely on the shift to control contact are no longer forced to pitch to the plate. Batters lose the chance to learn how to hit against a normal defense. Fans who love the old‑school feel of a full‑field lineup are left feeling disconnected.

I’d love to hear if anyone else has noticed the same trend in their own ballparks or if there’s a statistical argument I’m missing. Are the shift’s benefits truly worth the cost of stifling offense? Let’s talk it out—no sugar coating, just the facts.

P.S. If anyone has a video that shows a shift in action from last season, I’d like to see the contrast. The more data, the better.

why the statcast catcher frame rating is a total crap way to judge defensive skill

the algorithm only looks at how the catcher’s glove frame lines up with the ball once it's pitched, ignoring the whole “catcher’s ability to call pitches” factor

catchers who handle a lot of fastball + slider combos get low frame numbers because the ball stays too high in the zone, even though they’re still blocking a high number of balls in play

plus the data doesn’t factor in the pitcher’s tendency to throw off‑speed stuff that stays inside the frame—so a good catcher can get a bad frame just because the pitcher’s off‑speed stuff is good

this skews awards, contract negotiations and even coaching decisions

i think mlb should drop the frame rating or at least combine it with more contextual stats like catcher's contact rate and catchers’ hand‑off time

what do y’all think about ditching frame ratings?