3 White Sox hitters that will benefit from banning the shift

Zack Collins

The White Sox needs to see more from Zack Collins and no shift might help.

Defenses applied the shift on Zack Collins the second most out of any White Sox player. It showed. Collins struggled throughout the season to the tune of a .210 batting average.

Zack Collins had 193 of his 231 at-bats shifted for a grand total of 83.5 percent. That was good enough for the second-highest on the team. His wOBA has .296 with the shift on. Without it, his wOBA was slightly higher at a .315 mark.

His redeeming quality while coming up through the minors was his keen eye and ability to get on base. He also flashed some power. Neither was evident in 2021 for Collins. He was only able to draw 34 walks and hit just four home runs.

Defenses have always used the shift on Collins. He is a dead pull hitter that has yet to adjust. In 2019, defenses shifted against him in 91.1 percent of his at-bats. That was the highest amount of any White Sox player. In 2020, Collins once again led the White Sox in shift percentage. Defenses shifted in every one of his 17 at-bats.

Collins is going to have an uphill climb to keep his backup catcher job. Perhaps banning the shift is just what he needs to squeak out a few extra hits and gain some confidence.