The KBO will see big changes in 2024. The league has decided to postpone the introduction of pitch clocks and penalty kicks, but robot umpires are confirmed. It's time to start thinking about the future of baseball.

There's also the elimination of defensive shifts, which has gotten a lot less attention. This is a big deal. It could have a huge impact on the performance of teams and players.

Shifts are complicated. In fact, even if the shift is eliminated, defenders don't stay in one spot, they're constantly moving to suit the situation and the batter, and it's very complicated to interpret whether it's a shift or not. However, what fans can easily understand is that you will no longer see a shortstop or third baseman defending the right side of the second base. It's simple to understand that infielders cannot move from their original position to the other side of the second base.

A typical shift would be a full defense between first and second base. One of the shortstops or third basemen would move between the first and second bases to create a tight defensive net with the existing second baseman in case a powerful lefty pulls.

You might be thinking, why not just hit the ball to the empty third base area, but it's all about pride. Unless it's the last out of a tie game in Game 7 of the Korean Series, hitters don't give up their pull balls.

The problem is that the space is small, and the chances of getting a hit are definitely reduced. Doosan Bears' Kim Jae-hwan and Samsung Lions' Oh Jae-il are two examples of batters who have suffered from this. While there are teams that don't use shifts, many teams have used extreme shifts for both hitters. 안전토토사이트 

Coincidentally, both veteran sluggers have struggled in recent years. Kim Jae-hwan hit 23 home runs in the 2022 season, but his batting average dropped to 2.248. Last season, his numbers plummeted to 2.22 and 10 home runs. The same goes for Oh. His batting average, which was in the late 20s and early 30s, dropped to 2.688 in 2022, and then to 2.038 last season. His home run total also dropped to 11.

The shift can't be blamed solely for their decline. Stronger opponents, aging curves, etc. could also be responsible. But the shift could have had a big impact. It's not just a matter of forgetting a single, but when a pitch that should have been a hit turns into a double, it can be mentally draining and the start of a long slump.

Gone is the right-center field defense that was a stranglehold on both men. They'll be able to bat more comfortably. However, they are now 36 and 38 years old. It"s possible that their swing speeds will decline in different years. This could be the season that determines what caused the decline.