MLB: An Argument for the Designated Hitter in the NL

The new hot button topic in the MLB is the potential addition of the designated hitter to the National League, which may not be a bad idea.

Though it may not be popular among all fans, the MLB and commissioner Rob Manfred are thoroughly discussing the expansion of the designated hitter rule from strictly American League ball, and bringing it to the National League as well. The Senior Circuit has never adopted the designated hitter rule, but after well over a century of operating one way, a rule change is on the horizon.

Along with Nippon Professional Baseball’s Central League, Major League Baseball’s National League is the most noteworthy baseball league that does not use the DH rule. That could change as early as 2017, as the NL is getting closer and closer to adding a DH. Maybe a rule change isn’t the worst thing.

In the American League style of play, there is more offense. Last season, the average AL team scored 4.39 runs per game, while the average NL team plated 4.11 runs per game. Six Junior Circuit teams scored over 700 runs throughout the season, while only three Senior Circuit teams crossed that threshold. Seven of the nine-lowest scoring teams were NL clubs.

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Usually, a pitcher will bat ninth for an NL squad, with the occasional exceptions. In 2015, only two NL teams finished in the top 17 in batting average from the ninth spot in the batting order. The Cubs, who had their pitchers bat eighth in 140 of 152 NL-hosted games, were third with a .241 average. The San Francisco Giants, who boasted a staff of strong offensive pitchers, were 16th with a .198 team average. Each of the 13 lowest averages from the ninth spot came from NL teams.

In 2015, National League pitchers recorded a .133 average as hitters in 4,397 at-bats. They totaled 116 extra-base hits, or one every 39 at-bats. National League DH’s (coming from games hosted by American League teams) batted .252 in 564 at-bats, and totaled 46 extra-base hits, or one every 12 at-bats.

With the designated hitter, the NL pitcher can concentrate solely on what they’re paid to do: pitch. Those big ticket pitchers, many worth well over $100 million, can continue to hone their craft while the hitters hit. A pitcher who can also hit the ball is a luxury, not a necessity.

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The additional offense involved with the AL style obviously creates a longer game, as the average AL game lasted about two minutes longer than the average NL game. Though the game itself is longer, there is noticeably less “dead time” in American League games, which is to say that there is less time between innings, or during pitching changes. Earlier in the offseason, I researched how the new “Pace of Play” rules worked for the game, and found the AL game was quicker paced.

The average break in an NL games lasted two minutes and 43 seconds, while the average break in an AL game lasted two minutes and 27 seconds. That 16-second difference doesn’t seem like it would be that big of a gap, but spread out over an entire nine-inning game (consisting of 17 inning changes), the AL has four minutes and 36 seconds more actual “game time” than the NL. That also doesn’t account for pitching changes that come in the middle of an inning. While NL pitchers sometimes have to chalk up their bats, put on their batting gloves, and do other things to prepare to hit, their AL counterparts only have one thing on their minds: preparing to pitch the next inning.

Next: The Universal DH is Bad for Baseball

There are advantages to making the change, and creating one uniform designated hitter rule across the entire league. Not everyone is in favor of it, which is to be expected. There are the traditionalists (like myself), who believe that if a player fields, a player hits, and it’s as simple as that. Some of us have only ever known the Major Leagues to be one way: NL pitchers hit and AL pitchers don’t. That’s how it has been and that’s how it should remain.

Change is hard sometimes, but maybe it’s for the best.