With accelerated talks circulating around the baseball community about the addition of a designated hitter into the national league, I thought it would only be appropriate to look into how that’s going to help teams. Such is the case though, that it won’t help every NL team equally. The Dodgers, for instance, have constructed their team in such a way that they have multiple platoons at multiple positions, meaning they have a more malleable team, one that doesn’t rely on a fixed lineup every night. This gives them the advantage to now have an extra spot in the order for one of these hitters that usually have nowhere to play, because of someone else getting a start, to get more at-bats. Another way this will help teams is through the opportunity to now be able to remove an atrocious defender off the field and instead have him hit only full time, removing that risk that comes along with the tradeoff of good offense for bad fielding. So without any more dilly-dallying, let’s get into the individual 15 teams and see how each one will improve or stay the same with the addition of a DH.
NL West
Arizona Diamondbacks- Taking a long look at Arizona’s starting players, there doesn’t seem to be any noticeable advantage gained if they were to have the DH. For one thing, most of their positions have guys starting there full time. The outfield is taken care of, with a good group of Peralta, Starling Marte, and Kalhoun, and the infield is also locked in with Escobar, Ketel Marte, Ahmed, and Walker. With the DH spot, the only player getting a big increase in playing time would be Jake Lamb. And even with Lamb at the spot, I don’t see much of an impact being made by him. Lamb has always been the type of player who shows flashes of becoming a very solid producer but then always falls back to earth after slumps or major injuries. Maybe with the defensive load lifted off of him, he can put it all together. But if he can’t deliver at the extra spot, then there aren’t many backups who’ll do any better.
San Diego Padres- The Padres have always been a team, who would benefit greatly from this extra spot. The one problem in their offense has always been trying to find a defensive position for Wil Myers. A liability anywhere he’s put on the field, Myers is a player who desperately needs to only hit. Though he’s only regressed since his first year good year in San Diego, Myers still has a chance to not be such a strain on the Padre’s defensive team WAR. This switch would also be good in the sense that it creates a chain reaction, of opening right field for hungry fringe MLB level players looking to get at-bats, as well as tandem catcher Francisco Mejia. Mejia, not the best defensive catcher, would be able to shift from catcher to right, giving Hedges the position almost full time, and would solve the solution of trying to find playing time for catchers with differing defensive and offensive skill sets. I see this switch really helping out some of the Padre’s offensive problems and giving them a better fighting chance in a crowded NL wild-card frenzy for two spots.
Colorado Rockies- It’s almost laughable that Daniel Murphy has played his entire career in the NL because he fits the exact prototype for a good DH. You have to go all the way back to 2011 to find one of Murphy’s only seasons where he barely didn’t produce a negative defensive WAR. Since then though, in 9 seasons Murphy has amassed a total of -6.5 defensive WAR. And though Murphy has hardly looked the almost MVP we saw back in ‘16 and ‘17, this would at least help the Rox in the defensive department, but ultimately not make them too much better in terms of an increase in winning games. Sorry Rockies, it’s going to take more than a trio of Arenado, Story, and Blackmon to make the playoffs again :(
San Francisco Giants- Not much at this point will help the Giants improve, seeing that the sun set on their dynasty long ago; it’s just they’ve just been too ignorant and sentimental these past couples of years to actually acknowledge that they’re nowhere close to regaining that form. The team seems to be in limbo, a carcass of its former self with old expensive contracts holding them back from moving on and making progress. And though they do have a clear starting DH with Hunter Pence, it’s not like him moving off the field opens up a spot for someone who’d actually perform well there. Pence moves to DH and the Giants now have the starting option of Billy Hamilton and Jaylin Davis in center field, a combo most minor league teams outfields can outperform. It’s going to be an awfully slow and painful rebuilding process for the Giants ahead, and the DH spot will only give San Fran the ability to move a defensively incapable outfielder off the field to allow way for a more offensively incompetent duo.
Los Angeles Dodgers- The Dodgers known for their ability to shift and manipulate their roster and starting lineup on the daily basis, might be the team to benefit most from this change. Lot’s of their star players (Bellinger and Muncy) already have the ability to play more than one position, making for a lineup that could be frequently different even without a DH. With the spot added the Dodgers would gain a whole new advantage. Dave Roberts day to day starters would be able to move in and out of the DH spot, giving them a rest from fielding, all the while making way for more at bats and starts for bench bats like Kike Hernandez, Chris Taylor, or Matt Beaty. LA, coming off of a 106 win season would now get the chance to not have to be disadvantaged to those AL teams anymore with this change. Perhaps this switch could also set the stage for an even more explosive Dodgers offense, already with a deadly offense consisting of Bellinger, Betts, Seager, Muncy, and Turner who would all be getting more backup from the bench bats.
NL Central
Chicago Cubs- For a while now the Cubs have had a prototypical DH playing for them. Kyle Schwarber, perfectly fits the bill for what DH’s have looked like in the past. He hits for power, runs slow, and has almost no ability to play defense. A slugger who basically has only shown that he can hit bombs (94 homers over his past full 3 seasons), Schwarber has also averaged a .234 batting average over those three aforementioned seasons. So, moving a one dimensional player like Schwarber to the DH role might make starting jobs and playing time a bit easier to manage for first year manager David Ross. The Cubs could then set up a sort of platoon in left field with Ian Happ and Steven Souza splitting the at bats for the position, easing the amount of competition that is the second base position for the Cubs right now.
Pittsburgh Pirates- Beyond Josh Bell, Bryan Reynolds, and maybe Kevin Newman the Pirates offense is about thrilling as watching a Tigers-Orioles game. It consists of extremely average and subpar role players. Bad trades and a lazy front office has destroyed this teams chances of ever reaching their former peak of being the consistent wild card contestants they once were. Now, they are left writhing in baseball purgery, merely skating by every year showing flashes of promise here and there and then ultimately melting down somewhere along the way. Most of the Pirates backups and possible DH options are not worthy of a starting spot on any team. Jose Osuna and Kevin Kramer, men without positions on the roster, are your best bets for Pittsburgh’s DH situation. Neither, even being close to replacement level type hitters, this new rule hardly gives the Pirates any hope for the foreseeable future.
Cincinnati Reds- The Reds are preparing for a crusade to try to take the crowded NL Central while it is at its weakest. And with the improvements they made to their offense, that goal looks now to be very achievable. And going even deeper into that offense, a DH would pay dividends for Cincinnati. Though it could be used in ways that I don’t maybe see, the best route I see the Reds going is by starting with moving Moustakas off of second base and over to designated hitter. This could allow prized prospect Nick Senzel to switch to his more natural position in the middle infield at second, and then create more breathing room in the outfield. This would allow both new signee Akiyama and Aristedes Aquino to get more playing time with a more open outfield and solve some issues that way. One other way to go about the DH for them, would just be simply giving the role to the power hitting Aquino full time. Whichever way the Reds go about utilizing this new rule, it’s sure to improve their offensive flexibility.
Milwaukee Brewers- If one manager would ever be excited about this rule, it’d be Craig Counsell, manager of the Brewers. Very much a creative and resourceful thinker, Counsell is known for his crafty ways in which he utilizes his players on the roster to get the most possible from them. An entire new spot for a full time hitter is like a dream for Counsell. Some of the directions he could take the position are different. The obvious one is to move aging, one time superstar Ryan Braun over there full time, and would therefore clear up so much confusion in the outfield or at first base. Another way, is by doing a Dodger minded strategy which is rotating players at the spot. Players who won’t get full playing time, Ben Gamel, Brock Holt, or Jedd Gyorko now all get the opportunity to collect some at bats to help their team. Counsell will for sure think up something as he usually does, and whatever it is, I’m positive it will give them some type of edge.
St. Louis Cardinals- For me, the Cardinals use of this spot is just so obvious. A main point of trouble and incohesiveness over the years for the Redbirds has been their outfield. It’s a mix of aging veterans, struggling young guys, and budding stars all vying for a spot somewhere in that crowded mess. To me, it’s an easy fix. Have big time power prospect Tyler O’Neil occupy the DH role, the outfield from there should be a bit clearer. Left field now opens up completely leaving the competition for that spot up to a group of guys consisting of Dylan Carlson, Lane Thomas, and Justin Williams. Carlson being the smart option of course because of his super prospect status, has the potential to be a good move for the Cardinals and how they can now give playing time to guys who are deserving.
NL East
Washington Nationals- This position also proves to be a simple fix for the Nats. Washington can use this position as a rotating door for their many veterans on the roster. World Series hero Howie Kendrick, Mr. National Ryan Zimmerman, and possibly Asdrubal Cabrera all would provide their offensive skills well, while not having to be forced to defend with their declining skills at their ages. Even with the hit of losing Anthony Rendon to free agency, the Nats offense doesn’t look to be subpar just yet. Wonder kid Juan Soto, speedster Trea Turner, and some production from the like of Eaton, Robles, and Kieboom is good enough for a Nationals team that is very starting pitching heavy. But with this DH role, the Nats offense becomes a lot more versatile with the ability to give days off fielding, more playing time, and rounding out some rough edges for their hitting.
Atlanta Braves- The Braves are just all around a very well rounded team. The pitching has really good young pieces, the bullpen has some reliable veteran arms that know what they’re doing, and the offense has some real star power to it. The electric trio of Acuna, Freeman, and Albies will without a doubt put up some amazing numbers, but the way in which the offense takes a step to the next level is with the designated hitter. To me, there are two candidates with one being a better fit than the other. Austin Riley is that more favorable guy. A prospect with a ceiling reaching superstar heights, Riley has an explosive bat. But with that explosive bat, he also has a shameful glove. Riley is just a perfect DH and it’d be a shame to watch the kid flounder in the infield or outfield, making him out to be a worse player than what he actually is. The other candidate is Marcell Ozuna. Ozuna throughout his career has been a suspect fielder out in left field. With the bat, yes, he produces very solid numbers, but Ozuna could also be a good fit for not having to man that outfield spot. This would open up some space in the outfield with Markakis and Duvall now having more options for playing time.
Miami Marlins- My first suggestion for the Marlins with restructuring their offense would be to first get rid of Lewis Brinson as fast as they can. But, alas this is the Marlins were discussing so instead they’ll just bury their heads in the sand and try to see some slight uptick in production to make that Yelich trade not feel like a total punch to the gut. Moving on though, I seriously don’t see a DH resulting in anything special for these Marlins. Some options they have to put there are both laughable and mundane. The more entertaining of the two is the laughable and that would be by starting Matt Kemp there. Besides that ridiculous resurgence he had in LA, Kemp is well into the dying years of his once brilliant career. And while his old familiar stomping grounds in LA proved to be enough to bring him back to life, I don’t think the same could be said for the flooding, humidity filled city of Miami, hardly a big baseball city. But this is the Marlins we’re talking about. They find excuses to play non producing players all the time, so making Kemp a starter again is just in their nature. The last option is Garret Cooper, a backup first baseman acquired in the Stanton trade. But c’mon Miami, what are we talking about… we all know it’s going to be Kemp. You might even increase those ticket sales from dead last, to a more respectable last place starting a circus act like him.
Philadelphia Phillies- Lucky for you Philly, the one place where you’re actually good is with offense. Once you get past a rotation that drops off after Nola and Wheeler as well as a bullpen consisting of guys who were once good in as late as 2012, the Phillies boast a plethora of strong bats. Harper headlines a group consisting of Hoskins, Gregorius, Segura, McCutchen, and Realmuto; players that will produce brilliant numbers as a whole. The best suggestion I have for the Phillies to use that DH spot (one that doesn’t involve having to play Jay Bruce) is by putting McCutchen in that spot. Then with left field open I think the Phillies should actually go out on the market and look for a better outfielder than the likes of what a Roman Quinn/Jay Bruce combo would produce. With that plan in place I think the Phillies could take that step to the next level and maybe get over that .500 winning percentage hump that still looks to be a challenge for them.
New York Mets- Ah yes, last but not least, one of my favorite teams to talk about. When I asses the Mets offense, I can’t help but mention Robinson Cano at least once. I mean, he’s part of one of the worst trades in MLB history and the laughable part is that he is somehow starting and producing dastardly numbers all while being paid millions every year for it. So, my tip for new manager Rojas is to just not start the old man. Well anyway, let’s get back to the DH situation. Adding a designated hitter for this Mets offense in the grand scheme of things does not add much a gain for them. One option is moving defensively handicapped outfielder JD Davis there just to not have such bad defensive value for the overall team, but even that wouldn’t solve problems. A new combo of defense only Jake Marisnick and utility man Dominic Smith end up taking over, and that hardly sounds like a great platoon. The even worse avenue to stray down would be to give the DH job to Yoenis Cespedes. And if that sounds like a bad idea, that’s because it is a bad idea. The amount of time, money, and trouble that has been wasted upon the Cuban slugger has been disastrous for the New York ballclub and reigniting that trouble that is Cespedes does not look like the smart move for the future success of this Mets team. But hey, this is Brodie van Wagenen’s Mets so the latter option is probably just as likely as the first.
