Whatever you think about baseball analytics, it’s hard to suggest their prevalence – and their influence on how the game is played – has made baseball more exciting. They haven't. Don’t believe that? Then why is Baseball in the low minors experimenting with rule changes designed to un-do, to some extent, what metrics hath wrought? (See: Rules on defensive shifts.)
Shifts, emphasis on homers and Ks, the conga-line of pitching changes, even with the 3-batter minimum. All have conspired to pack less action into more minutes on the field.
The Astros showed us Wednesday night a little of what the game used to look like. It was good.
Their hitters didn’t swing like they were whacking pinatas. They made contact, they beat Atlanta’s shift. Their 5-run 2nd inning, after one was out: Single, single, run-scoring single, two-run single, lineout, run-scoring single. Beat the shift, don’t strike out. Put pressure on the defense. (Braves OF Eddie Rosario added to the scoring by making an error.) Make the bases look like a giant orange-and-white pinwheel.
