The Universal DH Has Been Great for the MLB

I hope the DH is here to stay, as it’s been amazing for MLB.

Offenses Have Flourished in the DH Spot

Multiple NL teams have had the DH become focal points of their offense. In the East, Robinson Cano and Marcell Ozuna have been elite hitters and been able to stay fresh by being a DH. In the Central, the Reds have had a rotating DH to give guys off days. The Cubs have been able to platoon Caratini and Contreras at DH and catcher. The Cardinals can finally put Carpenter in a DH role where he can age gracefully. Out west the Rockies can rest their older guys at DH while keeping their bats in the lineup. The Dodgers have loved being able to DH a star slugger for some rest from the field, and Slam Diego has loved having their sluggers rotate in that DH spot.

Allowing Players to Age Better

The NL didn’t really ever have a solution to the problem of what to do with older position players. They began flocking to the AL where they could crush at the DH spot. There’s no Nelson Cruz, Edwin Encarnacion, or JD Martinez in the NL. I bet if there was a DH the D-Backs would’ve kept JD Martinez, and maybe a team like the Cardinals would’ve signed Encarnacion. This keeps NL teams competitive in that market and that’s great for baseball and for older guys who can still mash. This game’s getting younger, but everyone still has love for that veteran crusher in the lineup.

Universal DH Has Made the MLB More Watchable

These high flying offenses give the NL a more modern look. The Slam Diego Padres are one of the most fun teams in all of baseball, and we’ve usually seen big offenses come from the AL. The NL is known for pitching and the AL for hitting, now the NL and AL have both. I know that this faster pace of baseball is more fun because it’s natural with the DH. No pitch clocks, no pace of play rule, just a lineup change.

Baseball is more fun now than it’s been in a while, and the universal DH has proven to be a huge win for MLB.

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