With the recent retirement of David Ortiz, Major League Baseball is still left with some promising designated hitters. There will never be another Big Papi, we all know that, but there are still bats out there trying to get the job done in the American League.
The designated hitter position is a unique one. We didn’t want to have it necessarily be a hitter who plays the majority of the season at DH because we felt there would be prominent hitters that deserved to be on the list. If a player has played in more than 50 games in a given season at the position, he qualified for the list. Those are our rules, and we are sticking to them.
Here are five designated hitters pitchers should fear heading into the 2017 season.
1. Edwin Encarnacion, Cleveland Indians
When the Blue Jays acquired Kendrys Morales, we all knew Edwin Encarnacion’s days were numbered in Toronto. It mirrored something of a trade considering both guys hold the title of DH, but this isn’t an article about whether or not the team replaced EE.
The Indians now have the three-time All-Star and they couldn’t be happier. Staying in the American League was essential for him and despite hitting just a .263 batting average last season, he did smoke 42 balls over the fence which tied his career high in 2012.
When it comes to the 2017 season, FanGraph’s Steamer projects him having a season where his numbers could drop, but there are factors that play into this. The fact that he’s leaving a hitter’s park known as Rogers Centre and going to Progressive Field is one factor. And unfortunately, when you blow out 34 candles on your last birthday cake, the judgments come in.
Steamer predicts Encarnacion to have a .254/.349/.485 slash line this upcoming season. Anticipating another 40-plus home run season is difficult to wrap your head around. The ballpark factor and age like previously mentioned are certainly something to keep in the back of your mind possibly from a fantasy perspective, but it’s Encarnacion and when he makes contact with the ball, he has historically proven he can pull the ball which results in the ball flying away far, far away.
2. Mark Trumbo, Baltimore Orioles
We know Mark Trumbo can go more towards the position player side, but he has played enough games at the DH position to be included in the list.
How happy are Baltimore fans now that they have Trumbo back with their squad?
CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora tells me there was a lot of excitement behind the re-signing.
“He is really well liked by the fans and the team,” he explained. “He’s a great dude, good fit, and the price was right.”
There are so many great things about Trumbo coming back with the O’s. First off, he led the league in home runs (47) last season and finished it off with an All-Star spot and a Silver Slugger Award.
But wait, there’s more.
Trumbo possesses more help with Camden Yards being a hitter’s park which only adds to his confidence. He completed the season with a .256/.316/.533 slash line. And while he may not hit the same amount of bombs this time around, he has so many elements on his side to make him a force to be reckoned with in 2017, and that is something Baltimore fans are can be happy about.
3. Kendrys Morales, Toronto Blue Jays
Morales wasn’t traded for Encarnacion. But the timing was interesting enough to make it seem like Morales was supposed to be the replacement for EE. Once again, this is not that type of article.
Morales at Rogers Centre will certainly put on a show, and historically, that displays. The 33-year-old holds a .276/.330/.438 slash line in Toronto with an impressive .325 BABIP. It’s difficult for someone to prove this means he is going to dominate at the field. But after impressive numbers in Kansas City over the last couple seasons and a Silver Slugger in 2015 (as well as American League MVP talks), he’s more than ready to prove the Blue Jays made a great decision.
This graph compares all hitters. We added David Ortiz to make it interesting.
Victor Martinez, Detroit Tigers
Veteran DH Victor Martinez has almost a decade and a half of Major League experience. That’s five All-Star jerseys he’s worn, an Edgar Martinez Award and two Silver Sluggers. To say he can hit is an understatement.
He’s also bred for the American League spending his entire career with a team from that side of baseball.
In that career, he currently holds a .301/.366/.467 slash line and 227 bombs. For those asking about home runs, no that’s not quite a lot, but he still manages to crush the ball late in the game and is phenomenal at hitting over the fence when he’s on the road.
5. Albert Pujols, Los Angeles Angels
Let’s just get this out of the way. “If Albert Pujols stays healthy…” Yes, we know. If he stays healthy he will do great things. That’s true with a three-time Most Valuable Player and all of the players in between.
Last season, Pujols struggled with an injury to his right foot and underwent surgery in December to release his plantar fasciitis. This isn’t something you need to concentrate on and Angels fans, don’t worry yourselves. His recovery time could bleed into Opening Day, but for the most part, he’s on track to start with the rest of the team.
Until then, let’s concentrate on the positives.
The 10-time All-Star knows a thing or two about hitting. Six Silver Sluggers over a 16-year career proves that.
The beauty of Pujols is not where he hits his home runs, but when. He has a lot of first-inning bombs, and the only “where” that is worth noting is the fact that the 37-year-old hits the most home runs when he’s batting third in the lineup. How fun, right?
He’s the oldest guy on the list, but with that comes a lot of experience that puts him up there with some of the best in the business. Don’t let those years deter you from cheering him on in 2017.