Apr 22, 2022 - Sports
MLB's universal DH, two weeks in
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
You'll never believe it, but it turns out professional hitters are a lot better at hitting than professional pitchers.
By the numbers: We're two weeks into the universal designated hitter era, and National League DHs are batting .248 with 33 HR and 141 RBI.
- Compare that to last year, when MLB pitchers, in their last hurrah at the plate, hit an anemic .108 with 14 HR and 166 RBI.
- Since 1973, when the AL first implemented the DH, pitchers have never batted above .165. Last year's .108 average was the lowest.
- Of note: We got to preview these results when the universal DH was temporarily installed during 2020's pandemic-shortened season. NL DH's that year batted .236.
Batting average by position: NL DH's aren't just outperforming their pitching predecessors — they're hitting better than any position besides first base, and are significantly out-hitting their AL counterparts:
- 1B: .250
- NL DH: .248
- 3B: .245
- LF: .237
- SS: .234
- 2B: .222
- CF: .220
- AL DH: .217
- RF: .212
- C: .209
