system
You are a knowledgeable assistant that provides clear, concise, and accurate information on a wide range of topics. Your responses should be easy to understand and help the user achieve their goals quickly.


user
Do the new shift rules in Major League Baseball make the game more exciting?


assistant
Prior to this season, Major League Baseball(MLB) allowed infielders to shift based on who was at bat for the opposing team.  The shift simply means that the defending infield could load a certain side of the infield.  For example, the shortstop could move to where the 2nd baseman normally is positioned and the 2nd baseman might play in shallow right field.  The 3rd baseman would occupy the left side of the infield.  The theory behind this shift strategy is based on advanced analytics used in the game of baseball.  Using a spray chart to determine where a hitter normally puts a ball in play and with what type of pitch thrown, the defending team would shift to cover more of the playing field and therefore increase the chance the defending team would record an out based on this strategy.  
It was increasingly used over the last 3-4 years and some argue that employing the shift decreased the number of hits and runs scored during a game.  The downstream effect of this made for a lower scoring affair and a less exciting game for a fan base that is increasingly younger and looking for more excitement during baseball games.  
One argument for allowing the shift is that hitters, being professionals, would adjust and try to beat the shift by hitting a ball away from the shift or hitting to the "opposite field."  Hitters answer to beating the shift was to increase their launch angle and play for the home run.  While the home run was an important run scoring mechanism, MLB decided to outlaw the shift from defensive strategy for the 2023 season.  Hitters refusal to adjust to the shift led to this decision by MLB.  The concern was games were not action packed enough and ultimately MLB would continue to lose popularity by its younger viewers, opting for other sports like Basketball, Football, or Hockey to spend their money on.  No longer can you sift defensive players.  The rules for this season are there must be 2 defenders on each side of 2nd base and their feet must be on the infield dirt as the pitch is being delivered.  The hope is more hits will be produced, more runs scored, and an increase in fan approval created.  The early opinion after the first week of the MLB season is that the games are proving to be faster paced with more runs and all around action created.