2023 大聯盟政策之影響探討

Abstract

2023 賽季，大聯盟實施了近年來最重大的規則變更，包括增設投手計時器、限制防守佈陣和加大壘包尺寸等。除了基於商業考量提升比賽觀賞性外，這些變 更的主要目的是改善近年來投手相對於打者更具優勢的局面。本文著重於探討限 制守備佈陣政策實施後對大聯盟打者表現的影響。 首先探討限制守備佈陣對大聯盟打者整體的影響。結果顯示，左打者和左右 開弓型打者在政策實施後的打擊率均有所上升，說明限制守備佈陣政策有效地減 輕了這兩類打者在打擊時面對的防守壓力。 隨後，本文進一步探討了政策效果的異質性。我們從多個打者的擊球特徵中 找出受影響幅度最大的類型，結果發現，內野安打率高、內野飛球率低、拉打比 率高、強擊球百分比高的打者在政策實施後的打擊率提升更大。說明即使所有打 者受到相同的政策影響，由於打者的習慣和擅長的擊球方式不同，他們對政策的 反應存在差異。

In the 2023 season, Major League Baseball introduced significant rule changes, including a pitch clock, restrictions on defensive shifts, and larger bases. These changes aimed to enhance game viewership and counteract the recent dominance of pitchers over hitters. This study examines the impact of defensive shift restrictions on MLB hitters. Overall, the restrictions led to increased batting averages for left-handed and switch- hitters, indicating reduced defensive pressure on these hitters. Further analysis revealed that hitters with high infield hit rates, low infield fly ball rates, high pull rates, and high hard-hit percentages saw the most significant improvements in their batting averages. This suggests that the policy’s impact varies based on individual hitting styles and strengths