Yankees OF Joey Gallo Says Baseball Needs To Do Something About The Shift

There's no denying baseball has changed mostly for the worse, and we'd all like the sport to return back to the way it was played not too long ago. But Yankees slugger Joey Gallo wants to see major changes, especially as regards the shift.

We're all tired of this shift ourselves, however Gallo offers an interesting take that goes beyond just banning it.

"I think at some point, you have to fix the game a little bit. I don't understand how I'm supposed to hit a double or triple when I have six guys standing in the outfield."

It seems Gallo is more self-aware than people in the "go the other way" crowd would believe. He's not saying players should have to stand in their traditional location in the field so hitters can flourish again -- he's making an obvious observation that five or six players shouldn't be standing in the outfield.

Sure, one could argue the rules of baseball always allowed defenders freedom of movement, but it's never been utilized the way it is today. Not 50 years ago and not during the Yankees' dynasty run of the late 90s. Only now.

The slugger appears to be saying that this style of defense completely neutralizes the power game -- a game he has been paid to master. He's objectively correct. Trying to hit the ball in the gap or smoke a ball to the pull side will lead to outs more often than not, so an offense's only play for extra bases is over the fence. HR-or-bust has led to one-dimensional hitting, and Joey Gallo is a victim of it today.

Had the left-handed slugger said it's not fair for the shortstop to play up the middle, then maybe he'd look narrow-minded. He's just saying that an offense is forced into a box when hitters have to slap a single the other way or hit a homer to the pull side. There are literally only two things for hitters to attempt at the plate today, and analytics suggest slapping a single the other way is a waste of Joey Gallo's time.

Baseball needs to find a solution that incentivizes hitters to make adjustments at the plate and that also allows defenders some type of freedom the way baseball always intended.