PROPOSED RULE:
Universal designated hitter
While there has always been debate over the DH, there should be much less outrage over this one given the time folks have had to consider it.
It makes so much sense it’s a miracle it hasn’t happened yet. Yes, it’s fun to see a pitcher smack a home run once in a while. But there were only 23 of them in 5,135 plate appearances by pitchers last year. More than 85 percent of those plate appearances end in outs. Then there’s the increased chance of injury (Masahiro Tanaka would like both his hamstrings back), how easy it has become for opposing pitchers to navigate the bottom of the order and how fans get robbed of the opportunity to see an actual major league hitter take hacks from the DH spot.
A universal DH would open up 15 jobs for some of the best hitters on the planet, help keep other regulars fresh and stop forcing American League teams to bench one of their best players in interleague games. This is a no-brainer, but it would seem most fair to put into place for 2020, allowing N.L. teams some foresight before building their next roster.