It’s time to embrace the DH in the National League

David Ortiz played more than 87 percent of his games as a DH.

Imagine if NFL quarterbacks also had to play on defense … but only in the AFC, not in the NFC. And not in college football, and not in high school football, and not in any other pro or semi-pro football league.

That’s the football equivalent of what’s been happening to MLB pitchers for the past few decades. They don’t have to hit in high school. They don’t have to hit in college. They don’t have to hit in the minor leagues. They don’t have to hit in most international leagues or tournaments. They don’t have to hit in the American League. But for some reason, they have to hit in the National League.

Before I covered baseball, I never really had an opinion on the designated hitter. I grew up as a Yankees fan, mainly watching American League baseball, but I also appreciated the slightly-more-strategic National League game.

But when I covered college baseball, I saw every team use a DH to hit for the pitcher. When I covered high school baseball, I saw many teams use their DH (who can hit for anyone) to hit for the pitcher. When I covered minor league baseball, I saw National League affiliates use a DH to hit for the pitcher.

Seeing all of that made me realize that there shouldn’t be any debate around the idea of the DH in the National League.

The DH debate was a legitimate debate 45 years ago. Back then, pitchers weren’t so specialized and their contracts were so exorbitant.

But it’s 2021 now. Since the AL adopted the DH in 1973, the argument for holding onto tradition has blurred into a logic from a bygone era.

Baseball has evolved at every level in every country. Forcing pitchers to hit has become dangerous for those pitchers and the teams that invest millions of dollars in them.

The players want the DH in both leagues, and the owners are currently using that as leverage to get an expanded playoff. But it’s coming soon. Maybe this year, maybe next. Whenever it happens, it’ll be long overdue.

How much strategy does the DH really take out of the game?

Pitching strategy will still be a part of baseball even if the pitchers don’t hit.

The most common complaint about the DH in the National League is that it takes strategy out of the game.

It’s true, but it’s also incredibly overrated.

The main strategy that it takes out of the game is the double switch, which isn’t actually a very complex strategy. I had a complete understanding of the double switch by the time I turned 10. It probably took my dad about 30 seconds to explain it to me.

The second strategy that it takes out of the game is intentionally walking the No. 8 hitter to get to the pitcher. There will no longer be any free outs, so opposing pitchers will no longer be bailed out of a jam just because of where they are in the batting order. That’s great news for the fans.

There are still plenty of baseball strategies that the National League won’t lose when the pitchers stop hitting. Pitching changes, pinch hitting, pinch running, defensive shifts and double steals will all still be part of the game.

So will the occasional double switch.

More jobs, more offense, fewer injuries

Edgar Martinez played more than 70 percent of his games as a DH.

There are other reasons to appreciate the DH.

It gives more players a spot in the starting lineup, especially veteran players who struggle with injuries or are a liability in the field.

Edgar Martinez played more than 70 percent of his Hall of Fame career as a DH. Fellow Hall of Famers Paul Molitor, Jim Thome, Frank Thomas and Harold Baines all extended their careers by playing primarily as a DH in their later years.

And in a sport often criticized for lacking action, the DH is consistently correlated with more scoring. American League teams have outscored National League teams every year since the implementation of the DH in 1973.

The DH also often allows starting pitchers to stay in the game longer. American League teams base their pitching decisions on how well a pitcher is pitching, not what spot in the batting order they’re at in the middle innings.

Oh, and perhaps most importantly, the DH will cut down on the number of fluke injures that pitchers sustain while hitting or running the bases. Fewer injuries to star players can only be a good thing.

The baseball world has changed in the last five decades. It’s time for the last straggler, the National League, to join everyone else and adopt the DH.

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