The Shift: The Next Evolution in Baseball Thinking

A "shift" in baseball refers to a defensive realignment in which players deviate from their standard positions based on a hitter's percentage-proven tendencies. Here, clinical psychologist Carleton presents a further move in our perception of the game by balancing analytics-heavy sabermetrics—popularized by Michael Lewis's Moneyball—and the idea that baseball is purely a numbers game with psychological concepts such as thought, culture, ritual, and language. The result is a holistic consideration as well as a necessary bridge between baseball purists and those obsessed with data. This data-heavy book explains concepts such as on-base percentage (OBP), wins above replacement (WAR), expected run tables, and hidden stats. Yet the telling is contextualized and brought to life with a bright mix of personality and humor, creating a fun read.