Finally: The DH Comes to the Central League
The last domino of baseball tradition has fallen
It finally happened—the Central League will adopt the designated hitter rule, starting in 2027. The Pacific League added it in 1975. Why not next year? Apparently, teams need a “grace period” to prepare. The offseason should be more than enough time… but in Japan, change (when it happens at all) moves slowly. However, with high school and university baseball announcing they’re introducing the DH, it was inevitable that the CL would follow suit.
Like the AL and NL before 2022, the two leagues here will no longer be different. I’ve always loved those quirks, the way tradition* shapes the game. I loved the leagues feeling like separate entities. But after thinking it over (and reading some convincing words from my friend
), I’ve come around to it. Besides, having grown up a fan of the Yankees, DH baseball is what I’m more familiar with anyway. Watching pitchers attempt to bat was like something out of another time. It was novel, yet always seemed a little out of place. Kind of like using a fax machine (which is not uncommon here).*Tradition, of course, is funny. While the AL adopted the DH in 1973, ideas about exempting pitchers from batting go all the way back to the 19th century, as this SABR article points out.
According to a comment on Yahoo News (yes, Yahoo is still big in Japan), the Central League’s old website once listed nine reasons to oppose the DH:
It would fundamentally overturn baseball tradition.
It would eliminate the strategy of pinch-hitting for pitchers.
It does away with the idea that pitchers should also take part in offense.
The DH rules are complicated and may confuse fans.
It would eliminate the success of pitchers who transition to position players, like Babe Ruth.
Pitchers would throw beanballs without the fear of retaliation.
Good pitchers will still go the distance, so run production won’t necessarily increase.
It makes comparing individual stats meaningless.
It would reduce the number of bunts and take away the fun of baseball.
I don’t know if I buy into any of those. What’s complicated about having one guy in the lineup is only bats? Is there anybody who really thinks bunting is fun? And Babe Ruth? Most pitchers who switched to position players did so because they couldn’t cut it on the mound. I’m all for taking the bat out of pitchers’ hands.
No longer will pitchers have to worry about getting hurt swinging the bat or running the bases. They won’t even need to practice.
No longer will fans watch them flail at three pitches—or worse, not swing at all.
No longer will the Central League look horribly mismatched, especially during interleague play. And they won’t be able to use the DH as an excuse if they lose in the Japan Series.
37-year old Masahiro Tanaka hit a double on Thursday, his first hit since 2021 and only the second extra-base hit of his career (the first came way back in 2013). He was injured running the bases in 2015 with the Yankees. Ma-kun’s all for the DH.
With the ball as dead as it is, adding the DH to the CL should boost offense. I love a good pitchers duel, but adding more action will make for a better experience. It’s more exciting to watch someone like Raito Nakayama swing than Iori Yamasaki. And, while Richard’s seeming more and more like a ni-gun player, the DH could give him a few more shots. I imagine the BayStars would love a healthy Tyler Austin at first and Mike Ford at DH.
It’ll open spots for those who are all bat and no glove. We’ll probably see an increase in trades from the PL to the CL as teams look to add more power to their lineups.
The players themselves are in favor of it. Former Sawamura Award winner Yudai Ohno said he feels the change is “five years too late.” Yuya Yanagi, who often bats in the 8 hole, said “I like batting, but since I want to focus on pitching, I’m in favor of it.”
Japanese fans, of course, are as divided on this as American fans were. Some think teams with strong starting pitching, like the current Tigers, might benefit because they won’t have to pinch hit for pitchers in tight games anymore. Others will miss the thrill of pitchers driving in runs. Still others think it’ll give new life to old players and help preserve pitchers’ stamina.
I’ll miss seeing pitchers bat, but mostly because of the slim chance something exciting will happen when they do. As a fan of a team that already uses the DH, it won’t change much for me. Still, I wonder who will be the last pitcher to get a hit next year. They’ll become a small, bittersweet piece of baseball history.
Thanks for the mention and the honor of helping you see the light!
I’ll also be interested to see if any pitcher hits a home run between now and the end of next season. If not, who will go down in the record books as the last pitcher to hit a round tripper.