Question for Nats fans

by Matt Swartz on Aug 13, 2010 9:44 PM EDT

My name is Matt Swartz, and I’m an author at Baseball Prospectus. I’m doing some research on the infield shift (where three infielders play on the right side of second base for a left-handed hitter), and the data is a bit hard to come by. Since I know what a great resource the SBNation blogs are, being a former writer at one myself, I thought that some of you could give me some help.

I am curious who has gotten shifted against on your team MOST of the time, AND who your team regularly has shifted against in your division over the last 18 years. To jog your memory I am listing the lefties and switch-hitters that your team has had in the last 18 years that have hit at least 20 home runs. Obviously, some of those players are Expos players, but if anyone has any sense one way or the other about those guys, I appreciate it.

Thank you for your help.

NATIONALS (* = EXPOS, I understand if that’s harder)

LHB

Adam Dunn
Nick Johnson
*Brad Wilkerson
*Lee Stevens
*Henry Rodriguez
*Larry Walker

SHB

*Jose Vidro
*David Segui

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Comments

I know Adam Dunn gets shifted against all the time.

I can’t think of anyone who doesn’t shift against him. I know that we shift against Ryan Howard. I also think we shift some against Chase Utley. I can remember at least one or two of those weird shift double plays where Zimmerman had to pull the turn at 2B with Howard. Patrick or one of the other regulars can probably remember whether that was last year or two years ago. Hard for me to definitely remember other guys we’ve shifted against.

Nick Johnson would never get the shift. He goes the other way and didn’t really have that much power.

Good luck. BP 2010 is one of my best friends.

On a desperate search for Sunshine at Nats Park. In Rizzo and Ramos we trust.

by souldrummer on Aug 13, 2010 11:45 PM EDT reply actions

+1 on Dunn

Although I only have exposure for the time as the Nats.

by The Herndon Kid on Aug 14, 2010 9:02 AM EDT reply actions

Can't help you on the Expos-era guys...

…but Dunn gets the shift almost all the time. It’s exceptional when a team doesn’t play the shift on him (which does happen on occasion, although I can’t recall off the top of my head who it was that didn’t shift on him—I just recall being surprised they played him straight up). Nats play the shift on Howard pretty much every time, and usually on Utley. I believe they played it on Fielder, too.

Don’t recall ever seeing the shift on Nick Johsnon—as souldrummer pointed out, he wasn’t such an extreme pull hitter and could hit to all parts of the field, so it wouldn’t make sense.

"And everybody lived happily ever after. Except the Phillies and the Mets. The End." --Sasskuash
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by Doghouse on Aug 14, 2010 10:23 AM EDT reply actions