Commissioner Rob Manfred continues his mission to tweak the rules and concepts of Major League Baseball with his proposed rule changes. One change that has been a large topic of discussions in recent years is the concept of the designated hitter being adopted by the National League. Renowned MLB writer Ken Rosenthal, now with The Athletic, reported yesterday this rule change, among several others, are currently being proposed by the league and could very well be implemented as early as the 2019 season (although I highly doubt it would be put into play with the start of the season less than two months away). Now, the National League adoption of the DH has been the hottest of the possible rule changes in recent memory, with fans expressing both the pros and cons. Some fans love seeing the possibility a pitcher go deep; others prefer to not see an “automatic out” when the number 9 spot comes up.
At one point I was very much against the concept of a universal DH. Not so much that I thought pitchers actually had a chance to make an impact with their bat, but for the strategic elements that it puts in place for National League managers. Unlike AL skippers, the NL has to think about certain concepts such as the double switch-replacing both your pitcher as well as a position player in one move. The pitcher you bring it then takes the spot in the batting order where the position player you took out was and the player that comes off the bench gets slotted into the pitcher’s spot in the order, which more often than not is the 9 spot. It’s a strategic move that can lead to a win or a loss and really gets the manager thinking about what the best possible move is. By having the DH, this type of strategic move becomes almost nonexistent.
This talk of the differences between an NL manager and AL manager makes me think of the movie Little Big League (for those who haven’t seen it, it’s about a 12-year-old boy who takes over as owner and manager of the Minnesota Twins; I strongly recommend it). Anyway, there’s a scene and line that always stood out to me. It’s when Billy, the young boy, is talking to his friends about needing to find a new manager for the Twins. His friends suggest he do it since he is knowledgeable of the game. Billy then says, “you know how hard it is to manage?” and his buddy goes “it’s the American League; they got the DH! How hard can it be?” Now, of course, I’m not saying being an AL manager is easy, but the differences in managing styles and strategies definitely varies between the two leagues because of the presence of the DH. It’s a random thought, but the talk of the DH got me thinking about it!
Anyways, as the years have gone, I’ve accepted the idea of a universal DH and honestly, all fans should. Here are some arguments for the DH in the NL:
MLB is the only league that has two separate sets of rules
Although this is what makes baseball unique, interleague play has since increased in recent years. The concept of two separate rules for each league should no longer be in play.
Pitchers are no longer two-way players
Aside from the select few in the bigs today, pitchers cannot hit and can negatively affect a team offensively. According to Fangraphs, in 2018 MLB pitchers collectively batted .115/.144/.148. It also avoids pitchers getting injured when batting or running the bases.
It allows players who are not sound defensively but can produce offensively to play everyday
Guys like Daniel Murphy and Kyle Schwarber are born hitters, but have no place on the field defensively. Both are ideal DHs.
Young players are being developed to be DHs
Well, maybe not developed specifically, but many young prospects are more groomed at the plate than the field. Hitting is their strength and coaches or scouts don’t see their glove becoming much better. Young guys like Vlad Guerrero Jr. and Peter Alonso are two that come to mind (both can rake, but below average defensively).
It extends careers for aging players
Nelson Cruz, Albert Pujols, Robinson Cano, Miguel Cabrera, etc. Soon, if not already, these guys will not be an asset to their teams defensively but will still put up strong offensive numbers. You could also argue that with their focus solely on offense, they could produce more.
Additional jobs for MLB players
15 teams in the National League means 15 new jobs for players. Another concept brought up my Manfred is the expansion of rosters to 26 men. So, in theory, it could be potentially 30 new roster spots. How could the MLBPA be against new job opportunities for its players?
These are just a few examples fighting for the universal DH. Ultimately, it sounds like it’s going to happen and I’m pretty excited about it. Here’s another fun stat from Fangraphs. In 2018, AL teams scored 10,999 runs with 2,900 home runs; NL teams scored 10,631 runs with 2,685 home runs. Of the 10,999 runs and 2,900 home runs for the AL, the DH accounted for 1,503 and 546 home runs. Pretty intriguing numbers when you really think about it. The Designated Hitter is becoming a true position in baseball and it’s time we fully embrace it. Thoughts?
