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“In Major League Baseball, the designated hitter is a player who does not play a position in the field, but instead replaces the pitcher in the batting order.” In other words, they are sultans of swat. Think of legends like David Ortiz, Jim Thome, Frank Thomas- big men with swift, powerful, game-changing at-bats.
The designated hitter, or DH, is a position only utilized in the American League, AKA the AL. However, during the shortened 2020 covid-plagued season, MLB allowed for the DH in both the American and National League, or NL.
During this offseason, there seemed to be hope of a universal DH for the foreseeable future in the majors. However, those discussions have halted and it appears likely the DH will only be used in the AL once again. Let’s make some cases for the universal DH.
Surprise everyone: batters are better than pitchers at hitting. It’s just a fact. To prove so, I’m gonna lay out some statistics comparing batting numbers of DHs and NL pitchers. Over the past five seasons, NL pitchers have a batting average of .126, a slugging percentage of .161, and strikeout almost 40% of their at-bats. Compare that to the statistical averages of designated hitters- .251 batting average, .440 slugging percentage, and a strikeout rate of 23%. With this, teams need to account for an additional batter, someone who is not an “easy out.” It also helps the team batting- another offensive weapon cannot be understated.
Batting is the name of the game. If you can’t hit, you’ll sit on the bench. For a lot of players, the use of the DH can showcase their true value as a baseball player, particularly those with a knack for hitting and less than ideal defense. Atlanta Braves left fielder Marcell Ozuna is a perfect example. He went on a tear as a DH in 2020 in the National League. He was at the tops of the league in home runs, batting average, and RBIs. But in the field, there’s always the possibility of this:
He’s always moments away from disaster it seems in left, and without the need to field, Ozuna could focus on his already amazing batting, and show his true value to a team. Batters like Ozuna are so much fun to watch, not only for me, but for all fans of the MLB.
And that is ultimately why players play- they do it for the fans. And what do the fans want? They want to be entertained. Besides the most diehard in the baseball fandom, no one is watching a game to see electric pitching performances, strikeouts, and shutouts. (Unless you’re a Mets fan.) (There are two ways to take this- either your pitching is amazing or your offense is poor. Choose wisely.) Back to my point- fans want to be entertained and the way to do that is for them to watch the best hitters hit. Besides, if the bottom line for MLB isn’t even about entertainment and rather about money, then having more offensive talents to watch makes much more sense anyways.
Most baseball fans would agree- good pitching is an appetizer, great hitting is a main course, a feast for the eyes if you will. Major League Baseball is a game that’s always been steeped in rich tradition. But at some point, MLB needs to embrace change, and with it, the implementation of a universal DH.