The ban on extreme shifts in Major League Baseball was intended to create more action and offense in the game.

Three weeks into the season, it also has lifted a mental burden from those it affected most — including Anthony Rizzo.

The veteran Yankees first baseman is off to a strong start, in part because of a handful of hits that wouldn’t have been hits last season, but also because of the liberating feeling of not seeing an extra fielder in shallow right field every time he comes to the plate.

“Hell yes,” Rizzo said Wednesday. “It’s refreshing. You’re not going to feel good every at-bat, but you can compete now. Say you hit a ball hard in that direction, it has to be at the guy now. You can be rewarded for having a good at-bat. You may be smoking the ball in the hole and it being a hit now, as opposed to having a good at-bat, smoking it in the hole and getting patted on the ass [from someone] saying, ‘Nice swing, stay right there.’”