By: Christian Puglielli (cp1685@mynsu.nova.edu)

There has been debate for quite some time now about whether or not the Designated Hitter (DH) should be used in both the American and National Leagues. The American League already uses the DH and the effect is that there is more offense. In about 1,900 plate appearances this year, pitchers have combined to hit .115/.146/.150. That is significantly worse than the slash line DH’s put up in the American League.

It makes a lot of sense that pitchers hit so poorly. They are meant to pitch, and that is their job. They practice pitching and are not expected to be good hitters. Many pitchers will actually specialize in pitching only (commonly known as “POs”) at a young age, and stop working on hitting. No scouts will pick a pitcher because of his hitting ability, so why would pitchers focus on a seemingly useless part of their game? Many advocates for the DH also believe that it would help make baseball more interesting for the consumer because every person that comes up to hit is a professional hitter. The DH also gives the opportunity for aging position players to stay in the league longer because they do not need to play the field. Many of the advocates that follow American League teams also believe it is a health concern during inter-league play because the American League pitchers do not normally hit and believe that they could get hurt.

However, National League advocates that resist this change also have compelling points. The style of play, known as “Small Ball,” would most likely be fazed out with the introduction of the DH. Small Ball is a very strategic form of baseball in which teams will “manufacture” runs by bunting and stealing bases, often times used while the pitcher is hitting with a man on base. Many find this form of baseball to be the right way to play, and without the pitcher hitting, the DH creates a more power-centered mentality. The use of double switches (delays the pitcher’s at bat by switching out another player on the field) would also almost completely disappear because there really is no need to delay a position player’s at bat. The pitcher adds strategy to the game because of the fact that they are normally poor hitters. This also puts a premium on putting guys in that may actually be pretty good hitters that can also pitch. National League teams see this style of play as the pure game of baseball. The National League also puts a premium on youth because they are required to play more often and thus get less rest.

I believe that the way the MLB is set up right now is good. It is sort of a compromise between two ways of playing baseball and adds a level of variability. It also forces teams to create a roster that can play in both ways. The pitcher creates a need for a good bench because you need pinch hitters to come off the bench and provide offense. The bench players see more playing time than their American League counterparts because the DH removes the need to pinch hit players. However, the American League allows for many of the players we love to have longer careers because the DH removes the need for some players to play the field and allows them to have more rest across the long 162 game season.

 

References:

https://www.theringer.com/mlb/2018/6/7/17437016/national-league-pitcher-hitting-dh

 

For more articles like these, check out the links below:

https://aroundthehornbaseball.music.blog/who-should-win-the-mvp/

https://aroundthehornbaseball.music.blog/a-new-playoff-format/