Chicago Cubs Hitters Happy With New Rules Implemented by MLB
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Major League Baseball will implement rules during the 2023 MLB season that will cause the game to look a little bit different. Perhaps the most high-profile rule is the banning of the defensive shift.
The new rule states that there must be two infielders on either side of second base with their feet on the infield dirt. No more third basemen patrolling right field.
For some of the Chicago Cubs left-handed hitters there is jubilation over the new rule implementation.
Players such as Eric Hosmer, Ian Happ, and Cody Bellinger will be some of the biggest beneficiaries writes Jordan Bastian at Cubs.com
“I think a lot of us are really looking forward to that," said Hosmer. "It just kind of seems like there’s going to be more hits out there for guys. There’s no worse feeling than hitting the ball hard up the middle and seeing the shortstop standing right there. So maybe this could be better for the offensive player, especially the left-handed hitter.”
Bellinger, who is on a one-year "prove it" deal, stands to gain the most from this new setup.
“I don't know exactly how the infields are going to look now,” new Cubs center fielder Cody Bellinger said. “I know that's probably what we'll knock out Spring Training, getting used to it. But, it's definitely exciting, as a left-handed hitter, I'd imagine.”
And even Happ has started to see his own fair share of the shift, however he will no longer have to contend with it.
Chicago's lineup stands to gain quite a bit of production with the banning of the shift. Additionally, there are plenty of players in the lineup who are hoping for rebound seasons, like Hosmer and Bellinger, who could get things going and create momentum
It'll be interesting to see how it plays out.
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