Whether you love more potent hitters at the plate or just loathe the fact that pitchers had to step in the batter’s box, it sounds like the universal DH is for you. Obviously, the impacts are felt, but there's a massive fantasy impact to be had as well. Pitchers will have to deal with nine hitters in the lineup in the National League, not eight hitters and a pitcher for a handful of innings. There are countless players that are impacted by the return of the universal DH, and we’ll touch on a good number of them as we group them into different sectors.

First and foremost, let’s look back at 2020 when the universal DH was instituted for a season. Of course, the elephant in the room is how much can we extrapolate from it, given the fact or fiction behind a juiced ball and a shortened season due to COVID-19? Regardless, there was a designated hitter spot across the league, and there were some interesting numbers:

  • 4.65 runs per game per team was tied for the second-highest mark in the last 13 years.
  • 1.28 home runs per game per team was the second-highest mark since 1871.
  • 0.07 sacrifice bunts per game per team was the lowest mark in history since the stat was tracked.

The extra spot in the lineup that isn’t handed to a pitcher for a couple of at-bats per game in National League parks should stand to benefit teams and hitters alike. Fellow hitters in the lineup could see a boost in their counting stats as the lineup has a higher likelihood of turning over, whereas opposing pitchers don’t have the “gimmie” spot in the lineup.

Again, numerous players stand to benefit or at least have the chance to benefit from this reimplementation, so let’s touch on a couple of them within various groupings.

Teams with Depth

This one is rather obvious, but teams that have a lot of offensive depth stand to benefit the most here. In the National League, the first two teams that jump to mind are the Los Angeles Dodgers and Cincinnati Reds. For the Dodgers, Gavin Lux could see additional at-bats, thanks to the added spot in the lineup, and rather than having to send Walker Buehler or Julio Urías to bat, the team can opt for Lux, one of their catchers, or Matt Beaty.

 


From Cincinnati’s perspective, they have about 27 outfielders that need at-bats, not to mention an ideal designated hitter in Mike Moustakas. In the outfield, the Reds have Jesse Winker, Tyler Naquin, TJ Friedl, Shogo Akiyama, Aristides Aquino, and Nick Senzel. The DH spot opens the door for more at-bats for their outfielders, especially if Moustakas gets off to a slow start. Again, Moustakas is the likely candidate to be the team’s starting DH, but the Reds have plenty of offensive talent that now gets maximized in their hitter-friendly home park.

The quality of depth for the Rockies could be in question but ignoring the fact that every game in Colorado will feature a DH is tantalizing.

Professional Hitters

There are some guys that I like to refer to as professional hitters. They play defense because they must stay in the lineup, but the universal DH will allow some players to just hit and leave the glove in the clubhouse.

The Atlanta Braves now get to tell Marcell Ozuna to just hit. Back in 2020, as a DH, Ozuna hit .362 with 14 home runs, 40 RBI, and a 1.155 OPS in 149 at-bats. He’ll get some time in the outfield, sure, but it seems reasonable to think that two-thirds of his at-bats will come without the added stress of playing defense.

The San Diego Padres can get creative with their lineup, but Wil Myers should be one of their primary candidates to be the everyday designated hitter. Myers didn’t serve as the team’s DH much at all in 2020, but there’s no denying that Myers isn’t a great defensive asset for the Padres. Jurickson Profar is a candidate for DH duties as well, but Myers could be an excellent fantasy asset in 2022 if half of the game is neutralized, and the slugger just has to focus on what happens in the batter’s box.
 

 


We see this as well with American League teams coming over to National League parks. The professional hitters in the American League don’t get tested defensively because they hide behind the curtain of the designated hitter spot. There will no longer be any questioning what the Yankees will do with Giancarlo Stanton, or if Nelson Cruz will play the field in this weekend set against the Marlins. Boston won’t have to risk J.D. Martinez’s health by having him play defense to keep his bat in the lineup, nor will Houston with Yordan Alvarez. Oh, also, Shohei Ohtani will get to hit in NL parks when he isn’t pitching!

As for 2022, there are professional hitters without a home yet, which leads me to…

Free Agents

Logical DH candidates are now no longer restricted to just half of the league. Everyone has a seat at the table now! Whether it’s an ageless veteran, big boppers with defensive liabilities, or sluggers with no natural position, every team has a seat at the table when negotiating with current free agents.

The big names that come to mind here are Nelson Cruz, Jorge Soler, and Kyle Schwarber. Teams in the National League could have been interested, sure, but seems pricy given the defensive liabilities or lack of a defensive identity. Could you imagine any of these guys in Colorado? Wow.

On a lesser note, someone like Daniel Vogelbach becomes quite interesting, depending on landing spot, as he would be the ideal designated hitter for an offensively challenged team. Back in 2019, Vogelbach hit 30 home runs for the Mariners, and batting average be damned, he would add some pop to the lineup. For fantasy purposes, he could be a nice source of cheap power later in the drafts, if the at-bats are there.

Could Prospects Get the Call Sooner, or at Least More Often?

This one is a bit more speculative, but it could behoove teams to slowly introduce their young talent to the big leagues by allowing them to just focus on the offensive side of the ball a bit more frequently early on in their careers. Or, maybe it’s just for a couple of weeks after they get their call to the show. Additionally, depending on how the negotiations between the MLB and MLBPA play out if service time cannot be manipulated, allowing for the team’s best young talent to get to the big leagues sooner, this becomes far more prevalent.

If you look at the Diamondbacks, we didn’t see much of Seth Beer last season, but when we did, it was either as a pinch-hitter or their designated hitter. Now, they don’t have to force a position onto their young slugger. As he recovers from shoulder surgery, the glove can remain in a safe spot, and he can devote all his attention to his offensive game.

What about in Pittsburgh? What if the 6-foot-7 shortstop Oneil Cruz doesn’t handle the defensive rigors of shortstop well at the major league level? If he can’t stick at shortstop or struggles early on, Pittsburgh isn’t up a metaphorical creek without a metaphorical paddle. For a team that lacks offensive pop, Cruz’s raw power would slide in nicely in the designated hitter spot.

What position do young players take the longest to develop and get the label of “ready” for Major League action? The answer is catcher. For the most part, young backstops need the seasoning and guidance to be ready for the defensive aspect of the position, whereas sometimes the bat has been ready for quite some time. Playing for the Orioles, Adley Rutschman has had this available, but perhaps Joey Bart will see more opportunities quicker?

On the other side, fantasy baseball managers may need to reevaluate starting pitchers in the National League, but it’s not a seismic shift. It’s something to note, but don’t blow it out of proportion. With starting pitchers having shorter and shorter outings as the years go by, pitchers likely only faced fellow pitchers maybe two or three times per game. It’s still something to note, especially for you DFS fanatics out there.

The reimplementation of the universal DH will have ripple effects in the DFS and fantasy space without a doubt. If the MLB and MLBPA agree to a deal, and free agents can begin signing again, the world of fantasy baseball could see some incredibly interesting signings as teams, particularly in the National League, begin to prepare for life with the DH again.