PHOENIX -- There are defensive shifts and then there's "The LeMahieu Shift."
The D-backs broke out a drastic defensive shift against DJ LeMahieu during their series with the Rockies in Denver in early September, moving their center fielder almost into right field and their left fielder into center, leaving left field wide open.
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LeMahieu, a right-handed hitter, almost exclusively hits the ball to the right side of the field, so the D-backs felt comfortable with their defensive alignment.
However, don't look for The LeMahieu Shift to take place with Zack Greinke on the mound in tonight's National League Wild Card Game.
"Not with Greinke," said D-backs first-base coach Dave McKay, who is responsible for positioning the team's outfielders and came up with the idea for The LeMahieu Shift. "He relies on his offspeed [pitches], and that's something he can catch up to and get out front and wrap it around the third-base line, so no, we won't do it. [Greinke] wanted to say with his regular straight-up defense, maybe favoring left-center a little bit but not the big shift, because it would change the way he would pitch him."
The key to any shift is to have the pitcher be able to execute his pitches. If they're going to shift on LeMahieu, then they need to pitch him away.
Will the D-backs use The LeMahieu Shift with one of their relievers on the mound Wednesday? Stay tuned.
"It's not a for-sure thing," McKay said. "We'll have to think about it."