(SportsRadio 610) - The Astros are making their adjustment's to Major League Baseball's new rules just like the 29 other teams.
These rules, however, can be very specific to a few Astros. Take left-handed sluggers Yordan Alvarez and Kyle Tucker, for example. Both stand to benefit greatly from the banning of the shift, which allowed teams to overload their infielders to the right side.
We're already seeing Alvarez and Tucker hit singles past the second baseman to right field, where presumably there would have been a shift implemented in previous years.
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Conversely, this could also negatively impact Astros ace Framber Valdez, who induced more groundballs than anyone in the majors last season. The thinking is that fewer shifts would make Valdez vulnerable to more hits, but he also generates weak contact that should allow his infielders to make plays.
On Payne & Pendergast, Seth and Sean break down some hard numbers that show both the good and bad of how the MLB's rule changes for this season are affecting the Astros so far.