Baseball Reference Glossary

Designated Hitter (DH)

What is a Designated Hitter?

The Designated Hitter (aka DH), is a player who bats, but does not play defense. He hits in place of the pitcher.

The DH role didn’t always exist in baseball. Prior to 1973, neither the American League nor the National League allowed DHs, meaning that the pitcher would also have to bat.

How are DHs used?

After the 2021 rule change allowing DHs in both the AL and NL (see below), most MLB teams now use DHs. Generally, a designated hitter hits better than the pitcher he replaces could. However, having a DH is optional. A team can decide to bat its pitcher and not use a designated hitter in any given game. Furthermore, a team’s pitcher can stay in the game to bat as a DH even after he has left the mound.

If a manager decides to move the DH to defense, the pitcher immediately takes the DH’s spot in the batting order. The team then forfeits the use of the DH for the rest of the game.

Any substitute for the DH, including pinch hitters and pinch runners, is automatically considered to be the new DH. These substitutes are listed in the boxscore as “Smith ph-dh” or “Smith pr-dh”.

MLB Designated Hitter Rule Change

The introduction of the DH is often considered the most significant rule change to occur in baseball’s modern era. In 1973, the American League allowed the use of DHs. However, several decades passed before the National League adopted the rule.

In the 2020 season, special rules were put in place due to the Coronavirus pandemic. That season, both the NL and AL allowed DHs. The year after, in 2021, the MLB returned to the pre-pandemic split between the NL and AL. Then finally, the designated hitter was made universal starting in 2022.

Interesting DH Facts

Here are some games where a designated hitter was not used:

The Phantom DH loophole

Orioles manager Earl Weaver found a loophole in the DH rule in the 1980s. He would list one of his inactive starting pitchers in the starting line-up as a phantom DH. Then, when the DH’s first plate appearance came up, Weaver could decide which of a number of players to use as a pinch hitter for his DH, depending on the situation.

In 1980, the MLB added a rule to close the loophole. Now, the DH listed in the starting line-up must bat at least once before being substituted, unless there is an injury or the opposite team’s starting pitcher has been changed.

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