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What is the purpose of the designated hitter in baseball?

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Freddie Freeman of the Los Angeles Dodgers, wearing a white uniform and helmet, watches his hit while holding a bat during a game at Dodger Stadium. — Baseball Freddie Freeman, shown here in a 2023 game, was named World Series MVP in 2024 after hitting four home runs and driving in 12 runs for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

In baseball, the designated hitter (DH) is a player assigned to bat in place of the pitcher. The primary purpose of this role is to allow a team to utilize a specialist who excels at hitting for power, reaching base safely, and advancing runners, without requiring that player to take the field on defense.12

By using a designated hitter, a team can keep its pitcher in the game to focus on defensive duties while substituting a more proficient offensive player into the batting lineup.12

The designated hitter rule was first adopted by the American League in 1973. While it was historically a point of contention among fans and purists who believed pitchers should be required to bat, the rule was adopted by the National League on a temporary basis during the 2020 season and became an official, permanent rule across Major League Baseball starting in 2022.32