The St. Louis Cardinals who will be most negatively impacted by MLB rule changes

With MLB's new rule changes, these St. Louis Cardinals will be negatively impacted the most

Last week, I covered the St. Louis Cardinals players who will benefit the most from the MLB rule changes that are going into effect this season. Names like Tommy Edman, Brendan Donovan, Lars Nootbaar, and Willson Contreras should all see noticeable improvements or value added to the team in 2023.

On the other side of the coin, there are players around the league, and on the Cardinals, who will feel penalized and negatively impacted by these new rules that are in place. These players will have to find a way to adjust, or they may end up being frustrated throughout the season.

If you have forgotten which rule changes go into effect this year, the major ones include the following: a ban on extreme infield shifts, the introduction of a pitch clock, larger bases, and a limit on how often a pitcher can throw over to a base to hold a runner. More information about these rule changes can be found at MLB.com.

When you look at these rules changes, certain players types come to mind. Left-handed hitters, in general, should benefit from the shift changes, granted they put the ball in play at a high enough rate for it to have been a major impact in the first place. Groundball pitchers may find themselves giving up a few more hitters here and there.

Players who lack athleticism and play in the infield will suffer from not being covered by the shift, and players who do boast quickness will benefit from not only the shift making their defense more valuable but also the pitch clock and larger bases to increase steal attempts.

Let's take a look at the Cardinals I think will be most negatively impacted by the new MLB rule changes this season.