With the start of the MLB regular season less than two months away, fans are reminded of a disparity in the rules that govern the league– the designated hitter (DH), which allows a non-pitcher to bat for a pitcher in the starting lineup. The American League (AL) practices this rule, but the National League (NL) does not. With the low batting averages of pitchers in the NL, there is much debate on whether or not the NL should implement this rule.

There is one clear solution to this debate: allow the designated hitter in the NL. The pitchers should not have to hit because they are not good hitters, they steal playing time from backup position players and hitting affects pitchers’ abilities to pitch.

One reason that the DH rule should be implemented to the NL is because the majority of pitchers aren’t any good at hitting. The pitchers used to be great at hitting in the mid-1900s, but recently, pitchers have solely focused on pitching in college and the minor leagues, lowering their abilities to hit. The usual batting average of NL pitchers is typically barely above .100, which is awful for an MLB batter. Although there are exceptions, such as Zack Greinke, Madison Bumgarner, Mike Leake and Michael Lorenzen, pitchers are not as effective swinging the bat as bench position players.

Another reason that the DH should be added to the NL lineup is because the pitchers steal valuable playing time from bench players. Although they sometimes struggle to climb over the Mendoza Line at .200, the batting averages of bench players are typically much better than pitchers, who usually have batting averages at or below .100. Most star players get their starts in the MLB by sitting on the bench, but NL bench players in particular get fewer opportunities to show their abilities in the batter’s box than their AL counterparts, which can lead to them not getting noticed and ultimately a disappointing career. If the NL added the DH, there would be a spot for one more bench player to hit, leading to teams finding diamonds in the rough.

Finally, hitting affects how pitchers pitch. There have been many instances where pitchers get injured swinging the bat. Some of these times, it is intentionally done by the opposing pitcher. If the NL added the DH to the lineup, they could take injuries to the pitcher while batting out of the equation. Not only can pitchers get injured when hitting, but they sometimes lose their focus on pitching when hitting. There is not much logic behind pitchers hitting, when they are likely not going to get a hit anyway, and then they return to the mound frazzled.

It is very surprising that the NL has not yet added the DH into their starting lineups with the lack of skill at the plate for pitchers. If pitchers were still very skilled batters, the DH rule would not need changing, but that is clearly not the case. Tradition is not a good enough reason to not add the DH in the NL. The MLB should act now to improve the lineups and make baseball more interesting in the NL by adding the designated hitter.