If you are a baseball fan you might have noticed that there has been something going on lately. The game that has its own traditions for decades has undergone some drastic changes that need to be addressed. And it all has to do with the different roles of player that are shifting right under our noses.
The first change we’ve seen lately is that relief pitchers become game openers multiple days in a row. Usually, baseball teams never let the same pitcher start two days in a row because it would be bad for their pitching arms, but the reason behind this new strategy is that many pitchers are struggling when facing hitters for the third time in a row.
The second phenomenon we’ve seen during recent baseball games is that pitchers were also used as hitters during games. Take Shohei Ohtani for example. The 23-year-old has proven to be on of the LA Angels’ best hitters this season but also has made name for himself as an outstanding hitter. Unlike other teams, the Angels have six (instead of five) pitching starters who rotate during games.
Ohtani usually pitches every six games, and ‘rests’ the day before and after those games. During the other three remaining games, he is part of the team’s hitting lineup. And that is something not many players have accomplished to do as well.
The third and last change we’ve seen in the baseball league is that teams traditional playing positions aren’t always being used anymore. Depending on the other team’s hitter’s skills, many infielders are often placed in the far outfields of the game, which gives the whole ordeal a completely different look for us as baseball fans.