Soon, baseball is expected to crack down on infield shifts, a rule change MLB hopes will lead to more offense (the league’s current .242 aggregate batting average is the lowest since 1968, before the mound was lowered from 15 to 10 inches) as shrewd fielders challenge hitters to go the opposite way, sometimes crowding one side of the infield with three and even four defenders. What exactly would that look like? We’re about to find out with the Single-A Florida State League implementing the “pie slice rule,” which, according to Jayson Stark of The Athletic, will go into effect later this month.
Beginning July 22nd, a chalk line (for a visual representation, see the artist rendering below) will be drawn on the infield dirt behind second base, preventing fielders from playing up the middle. In eliminating the shift, infielders will no longer be permitted on the outfield grass (at least until the pitch is thrown), with two defenders required on either side of the pie slice. If players are caught cheating to one side or getting a head start, their opponent will have one of three choices—to accept the outcome of the play, the outcome of the pitch or an automatic ball.
The FSL has long been used as a testing ground for rule changes, including an automated ball-strike system that, if all goes well, could be adopted at the major-league level by 2024. It will be up to the Competition Committee to sign off on these changes, though Stark says shift restrictions are seen as a “high” priority with momentum building toward an outright ban, perhaps as early as next season.
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