NL West Notes: Dodgers shift, Rockies struggles at home

The Dodgers are trending away from the popular opinion, ranking in the bottom third of major league clubs when it comes to defensive shifting. Manager Dave Roberts admitted that he didn’t know that the team ranked 8th lowest in baseball for shifts.

He insists that it isn’t a rejection of analytics, but instead another aspect at play. The team ranks second in defensive efficiency, a stat that measures a team’s ability to turn balls that are put into play into outs.

More from around the National League West:

• The Rockies struggles at home have become a serious issue, with the team entering Friday with a 12-16 at home. One of their stars, Carlos Gonzalez, says the reasons for the struggles are obvious.
• Over the course of three days, the Padres made 43 selections, bringing in a huge influx of talent, including 24 pitchers. They finished the draft with 27 college players and 16 high schoolers.
• The Diamondbacks have seen the most success in 2016, and AZ Snake Pit tried to figure out why they have been so bad.
• Grant Brisbee of McCovey Chronicle examined the full Giants 2016 draft, which only started in the 2nd round.