ROCKIES ON SHORT END OF STICK WITH DH RULE
Aproposed 82-game season, a July 4 start and no fans in the stands. And, oh yes, the designated hitter, for every game, for every team.
Welcome to the (possible) 2020 major league season, in which a potent DH could make a big difference in a shortened season; a season in which the Rockies, and other National League teams, could be behind in the count because of the universal DH.
As Rockies manager Bud Black told The Denver Post recently, introducing the DH to National League teams such as the Rockies “puts us at a little bit of a disadvantage.”
How much of a disadvantage? Given that the Rockies will likely play games based on a geographic schedule, it could be a big issue. Remem
ber, the Rockies will face their traditional National League West opponents (Los Angeles Dodgers, Arizona Diamondbacks, San Diego Padres and San Francisco Giants) as well as teams from the AL West (Houston Astros, Los Angeles Rangers, Oakland A’s, Seattle Mariners and Texas Rangers).
“That’s the big thing for me … the roster construction,” Black said. “When you put together a
National League team, there’s no doubt about it, you don’t focus on just one offensive player or a big bat in your lineup — the Nelson Cruz-type players, and going back in history, David Ortiz and Edgar Martinez, those types of offensive players.”
As a starting point, consider this: The Rockies played 10 games in AL ballparks last year when they utilized the DH. Colorado designated hitters combined to slash .171/.275/.200 without producing a single home run or RBI. It should be noted, of course, that none of those games were played at Coors Field, and it also should be noted that utilizing a fulltime DH would certainly improve Colorado’s production.
The Astros, by comparison, slashed .273/.365/.553 with 42 homers and 111 RBIs from the DH spot last season. The Rangers also had solid DH production, hitting .267 with 24 homers and 80 RBIs.
The Rockies’ prime candidates for a DH in 2020 include first baseman Daniel Murphy (possibly in a hitter-only role), as well as outfielders Charlie Blackmon and Ian Desmond. Murphy, an accomplished hitter but poor infielder, seems to be a natural choice. The Rockies could fill the ensuing hole at first by moving Ryan McMahon (24 homers last season) there, allowing extra playing time for rookie Brendan Rodgers at second base. Blackmon, 33, whose skills have regressed in right field, could find himself in the DH spot from time to time.
Murphy, who broke his left index finger in the second game of last season, was a shadow of his former self as he tried to regain his health and get comfortable at the plate. Murphy, who’s entering his age-35 season, saw his batting average decline to a career-worst .279 last year, marking the fourth straight year his average fell by at least 20 points. Murphy hit only 13 home runs in 132 games and posted a career-low .780 OPS. If he is the DH, he’ll need to produce more firepower.
On paper, it doesn’t appear that having a full-time DH is going to boost the Rockies’ offense much, at least in comparison to its 2020 opponents. Indeed, a recent FanGraphs projection predicted the Rockies to have the 24th most potent DH in the majors.
The top team? That would be the Astros, who are likely to use 2019 AL rookie of the year Yordan Alvarez as their primary DH, although he could see increased time in the outfield in 2020. Last season, Alvarez didn’t make his big-league debut until June 9 and played in just 87 games, but his 1.067 OPS led all of baseball during the time he was active. His .655 slugging percentage set an alltime rookie record and came alongside a .313 average, 27 home runs and 78 RBIs over 87 games. Overall, Alvarez homered once every 11.6 at-bats and had a multi-RBI game in 21% of his action. He projects as the premier DH in the AL/NL West.
The Dodgers’ depth gives them potency and flexibility at
DH. FanGraphs projects L.A. to have the fourth-most productive DH in 2020. Thus, a universal DH makes L.A.’s eighth consecutive NL West vision title more likely.
At the start of spring training, the Dodgers were trying to figure out how to get their multitude of talent on the field. Enrique Hernández, Chris Taylor, Max Muncy, Joc Pederson, Matt Beaty and A.J. Pollock could all DH. With former Red Sox star Mookie Betts squeezing into an already crowded outfield, Pederson (36 homers) could get the most at-bats as a DH.
The Angels, projected to have the sixth-best DH production, also have power options. Aging star Albert Pujols is a candidate, but so are two-way player Shohei Ohtani and Tommy La Stella, who’s not a very good fielder but hit 16 homers in 80 games last season.
Besides the Dodgers, Arizona appears to have the most pop from the designated hitter among NL West teams. Kevin Cron and Jake Lamb (if healthy) could form a solid tag team at DH. Cron put up ridiculous numbers in the Triple-A Pacific Coast League last season, slashing .331/.449/.777 with 38 home runs in only 82 games. His .777 slugging percentage was the highest in the minors in the last 40 years. If he transfers that talent to the majors, Cron could give the D-Backs’ offense a boost.