Losing the DH would be a blow to the Philadelphia Phillies

If the MLB decides to take the designated hitter out of the National League, it will be to the detriment of the Philadelphia Phillies.

It’s dumb that this is even a discussion, but the recent news that Major League Baseball is planning on reverting back to separate rules for the NL and AL is bad for the game of baseball in general. And, more specifically, it’s yet another obstacle to overcome for the Philadelphia Phillies.

To be fair, the rest of the National League would be in the same boat, which explains recent moves like the ones that saw Adam Duvall and Kyle Schwarber become free agents. Without the DH set in stone, NL clubs do not want to commit to these types of players. The Phillies, though, have several factors working against them that make this nonsensical rule change work against them even more than the average club.

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For starters, let’s take a look at those…starters. The Phillies actually have a good front end with Aaron Nola and Zack Wheeler, assuming nobody gets traded. And Zach Eflin and Spencer Howard following them in the rotation is, at the very least, full of potential. But by having the pitcher hit instead of a DH, we’re guaranteed to see far too many games this year where either a pitcher will get too early of a hook or is left in to hit for themselves (and strike out) in an important situation simply because their spot in the order came up at an inopportune time.

I’m going to put faith in Joe Girardi to make the right calls, as well as remember how to double switch, but this element adds another layer of annoyance to what already looks like it will be a challenging 2021 Phillies season. If the team is forced to dip into their bullpen earlier and more frequently because the pitcher had to be pinch hit for, it can only increase the likelihood of something going horribly wrong. The 2021 ‘pen couldn’t possibly be as ghastly as the 2020 version, but more innings pitched just means more problems that can and will arise.

Next, let’s look at roster construction. There are teams out there whose offense is so strong that losing the DH slot would create the issue of not having enough at bats to go around for quality hitters.

The Phillies are not one of those teams.

Still, the lack of DH is troubling in a number of ways. For those still holding out any hope of a J.T. Realmuto return, you’ve no doubt been buoyed by the thought of being able to DH him once in while in order to maximize his offensive contributions without everyday wear and tear behind the dish. Too bad, that idea is out.

And so is the ability to give Bryce Harper a breather from time to time, or the surgically repaired Andrew McCutchen and Rhys Hoskins. Again, every team will have to navigate health issues and days of rest, but the Phillies at least seemed set up to establish a nice rotation at DH so that they didn’t lose out on key offensive contributions, especially as they ease Hoskins back from Tommy John surgery. They were probably also likely to give Alec Bohm an occasional day off from the field. Not anymore. Thanks, MLB.

You can also forget about the prospect of bringing back a veteran bat like Jay Bruce. When healthy, which I know is a big qualifier with him, Bruce was still a productive bat. He would have been a decent option to come back to the team next year if he could fill the role of semi-regular DH. Now, however, the team is likely to prioritize more “jack of all trades” types. Hello again, Phil Gosselin.

MLB has put the whole National League at a competitive disadvantage by needlessly returning to traditional rules after teasing all of us with the universal DH last year. The Philadelphia Phillies, more than most any other team, are a loser in this scenario. It’s something that we’re sadly all getting used to by now.