Most "players" favor the shift: pitchers + righty batters.

If the MLB establishment wanted to limit or ban the fielding shift, it would ask the players union for permission. How would the players vote?

Pitchers are not players but using the traditional definition of players 50 percent of players are pitchers, all of whom should favor the fielding shift because it should improve their individual pitching stats. The shift is seen as hurting batters, especially lefty batters.

Righty batters should be in favor of the shift because, if they give it a second thought, the shift should help righty batters because it hurts lefty batters more, which makes the righty batters look better.

There's a third group, which should also favor the shift: lefty batters who can hit to all fields. Teams won't shift on them much, if at all. Limiting the shift by rule would hurt these batters relative to the lefty batters who would get relief from current extreme shifts.

Lefty batters stand closer to the bases. Now they want the fielders to move out of their way? Friday, December 7, 2018 9:26 AM

150 years ago for some bizarre reason two batter's boxes were created. This let players in the lefty box start running about a step and a half closer not just to first base but to all the bases...

a righty batter has more difficulty hitting a curve thrown by a righty pitcher. And about 72 percent of pitches have always been thrown by righty pitchers.

So that's TWO huge advantages for lefty batters...

Teams can afford to play an extreme shift more against lefty batters because the fielders have been moved closer to first base where an infield out will be recorded. Shifting like that against righty batters moves fielders away from first base.
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So most lefty batters would oppose the shift.

All of these scenarios are based on individual stats, not team performance. The assumption is that players will decide whether to support or oppose rules to limit or ban the shift based on how each of them will do relative to other players. If the stats of other players are hurt more by the shift than stats of a particular individual player, that player will favor the shift. It's pretty simple and basic.

In 2018 the number of batters who qualified for league batting title:
righty: 68
lefty: 47
both: 26; how would they vote?

In 2018 the number of pitchers who qualified for league ERA title:
righty: 40
lefty: 17

Righty batters have got to be able to hit righty pitching but lefty batters can get by if they can only hit righties but not lefties.

In 2018 for the first time in baseball history there were more strike outs than hits. Baseball is becoming more boring. That's why management is considering the stupidity of limiting or somehow banning the shift, either of which may prove more difficult than one might think.