In 2022, Major League Baseball adopted the universal designated hitter for both the American and National Leagues. This eliminated the need for pitchers to hit, and changed the strategy of lineup construction and late-inning substitutions.
Throughout this 2026 season, there have been numerous occasions where the Rockies had a player who was hot at the plate but a liability on defense. This made me think: What if Major League Baseball adopted a Designated Fielder?
The premise would be that a player
would only play the field, and would not bat. Perhaps he could be paired with the designated hitter, but that would mean you would need to fill his spot in the lineup. That could bring back pitchers hitting, or maybe it would mean a second DH.
Would this be something MLB could adopt? How would the logistics work? Who would be a good candidate for a Rockies’ designated fielder?
Let us know in the comments!
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