Welcome fantasy friends and foes to the Best DH Options for each NL Team (2022)!
Implementing the universal designated hitter rule allows for more flexibility with the addition of an extra bat in the lineup. The new rule also saves baseball fans the heartache of watching pitchers embarrassing themselves while trying to hit a 90+mph fastball. Quite entertaining at times, but not useful for fantasy managers.
I identify the best hitter options from each National League team and analyze their fantasy impact while also delivering alternative options.
Find out who your favorite National League team will do with the extra bat in the lineup as I lay out the Best DH Options for each NL Team (2022).
Fantasy Baseball Draft Kit: View printable cheat sheets, sleepers & mistakes to avoid
In the DH role for the Arizona Diamondbacks this season, right-handed hitter Jordan Luplow will platoon with left-handed hitter Seth Beer.
Luplow delivered a .245/.360/.539 career slash line with 23 homers in 378 plate appearances against southpaws. Conversely, Luplow hit only .205/.291/.369 in 358 plate appearances against righties. This reverse spilt has limited his playing time and overall success in the big leagues.
Ironically, last season saw a reversal of fortune for Luplow. He produced .247/.345/.548 slash with six homers against righties but hit only .167/.312/.378 with five dingers against southpaws.
Maintaining a better balance between the two will push Luplow into a full-time DH role. In addition, an increase in at-bats will allow Luplow to provide a fantasy jackpot for those taking the chance on the 28-year-old.
Alternative Option: Seth Beer
Marcell Ozuna is expected to return from his domestic violence suspension this season and serve as the Atlanta Braves DH. The last time we saw Ozuna on the field, he was mediocre with a .213/.288/.356 slash line with seven homers and six doubles, and 26 RBI.
Ozuna could be an integral part of the Braves lineup with the loss of Freddie Freeman and the delayed return of Ronald Acuna, who still has not recovered from tearing his ACL.
He was a monster in 2020, and the Braves need Ozuna to make that type of impact in their daily lineup this season.
Alternative Option: Orlando Arcia
Clint Frazier has never lived up to the hype surrounding him after being taken in the first round by the Cleveland Guardians. Instead, he would shine in the minors, get promoted, struggle in the big leagues, be benched, then sent down, and repeat this cycle.
The cycle ended last season in New York, where he hit only .186/.317/.317, and it cost him his job. So Frazier decided to go to the Chicago Cubs this offseason, where he should get the opportunity for regular at-bats, predominantly at DH.
The upside is obvious but can Frazier finally put it together?
Alternative Options: Jonathan Villar, Jason Heyward
This offseason, the Cincinnati Reds traded away plenty of offense by moving Jesse Winker and Eugenio Suarez. First, however, the Reds needed a bat to take on the DH role, and they believe they found him in Colin Moran.
Moran fits well in the hitters’ dream in the Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati. He posted a .258/.334/.390 slash with ten dingers across 318 at-bats last season. He shined against right-handers, where he produced a .288/.352/.432 slash along with a .785 OPS.
An excellent fill-in option at multiple positions, Moran will produce solid numbers for fantasy managers but keep in mind his strength is against right-handers.
Alternative Options: Aristides Aquino, Shogo Akiyama
Charlie Blackmon exercised the player options on his contract to stay in Colorado for 2022 and 2023. Blackmon was not going to get paid more by another team. Blackmon is 35-years-old and has a good fantasy resume, but he has exhibited decline over the past few seasons.
The Rockies shocked the baseball world by signing Kris Bryant to a seven-year deal. Bryant will start in left field and move Raimel Tapia to right field, pushing Charles Blackmon to the fourth OF and the DH role.
Blackmon produced career-lows in batting average (.270) and home runs (13) along with slugging percentage (.411) as his steady decline continues. Look for Blackmon to platoon more often this season, limiting his time on the field. Hopefully, this results in increased fantasy production, but don’t invest too highly.
Alternative Options: Connor Joe, Yonathan Daza
The Los Angeles Dodgers just made a gigantic splash in free agency by signing former Atlanta Brave first baseman Freddie Freeman to a six-year deal. The move has a domino effect across the lineup and lands Max Muncy as the team’s DH.
Muncy is still recovering from a UCL injury last season and the flexibility that the DH creates works wonders for Muncy and the Dodgers. The Dodgers can ease Muncy back in at the DH role before attempting to get him out in the field.
Muncy slugged 36 home runs and drove in 96 runs last season for the Dodgers and is a lethal bat in the middle of a potent Dodgers lineup. He has averaged 35 home runs in his previous three full seasons in LA. With his first and second-base position eligibility, Muncy is a valuable fantasy commodity.
Alternative Options: Gavin Lux, Hanser Alberto
In 71 games last season, Garrett Cooper hit .284/.380/.465 with nine homers and 33 RBI along a career-high .845 OPS. Cooper is known as a good hitter (.282 lifetime average), but he has not come close to playing an entire season in his five-year career.
The Marlins have two internal options for DH in Cooper and Jesus Aguilar. Both players have been in a timeshare at first base, but the rule change allows both hitters to be in their everyday lineup. Hopefully, with both players in the lineup, this will impact a mediocre offense.
Cooper has upside as a hitter but is a liability in the field, which suits the DH position perfectly.
Alternative Option: Jesus Aguilar
The signing of Andrew McCutchen by the Milwaukee Brewers is an underrated addition this offseason. The Brewers were looking for a veteran bat who could back up the outfield and fill the DH position. I think they found the ideal candidate in McCutcheon.
McCutcheon is no longer a base-stealer, but he displayed that he can bring some pop to an already solid Brewers lineup. He is projected to hit cleanup for the Brewers behind the threesome of Kolten Wong, Willy Adames, and Christian Yelich.
McCutchen hit only .222, but he hit 27 homers and drove in 80 runs for the Philadelphia Phillies last season. He is a fantasy risk due to the damage in the average category, but he does make up for it with his power. In addition, batting cleanup will open up more run-producing opportunities-valuable sleeper to select late in your drafts.
Alternative Option: Tyrone Taylor
It’s challenging to imagine Robinson Cano with a role with the New York Mets. However, his ludicrous contract forces the issue of obtaining a return on their investment, so the Mets are trying to find where Cano can be productive.
Cano is currently slotted for the designated hitter role, but he missed the entire 2021 season due to a PED suspension, so it’s unrealistic to be confident what, if anything, he can add to the team. In addition, his natural position is second base, but he is 39-years-old and possesses zero range, so he will only play there in spots.
The Mets have other DH candidates in JD Davis and Dominic Smith, which seems more viable to the Mets and fantasy managers. While he is a fantasy x-factor with the possibility that he turns back the clock to 2020 when he slashed .346/.352/.544 with ten home runs in 49 games. I wouldn’t bet on it with one of my remaining roster spots.
Alternative Options: JD Davis, Dominic Smith
Kyle Schwarber was a priority target for the Philadelphia Phillies, who possess a potent lineup. Schwarber hit a combined .266 with 32 dingers and 71 RBI and a .928 OPS in 113 games last season with the Washington Nationals and Boston Red Sox.
He is a left-handed power bat who made the most of his starts in the outfield and played nine games at first base. However, he is a liability in the outfield, leading to Schwarber being the ideal DH candidate for the Phillies.
Like most sluggers, there is a lot of swing and miss to his game. He produced a 27% strikeout rate, but he also produced top-notch 17.5 Barrel% with a 92.3 exit velocity and an impressive 52.2 hard-hit percentage.
His power numbers suggest that Schwarber is the prototypical middle-of-the-lineup bat. The meat of the order of NL MVP Bryce Harper and JT Realmuto with Schwarber is fearsome. On the other hand, the Phillies do not have a legit leadoff hitter, and surprisingly enough, Schwarber prospered in the role last season. He hit .297/.382/.832 with a 1.216 OPS and 17 homers across 27 games, hitting first.
I am targeting Schwarber in all of my leagues.
Alternative Options: Matt Vierling
The Pittsburgh Pirates recently signed Daniel Vogelbach and planned to utilize the slugger as their primary DH. Vogelbach missed multiple months last season with hamstring and foot injuries.
Vogelbach is a menacing figure at 6-foot and 270 pounds and has exhibited the power to smack balls out of the park. However, he is more suited for platoon situations, unable to hit left-handers. Last season, Vogelbach hit just .097 against southpaws while hitting .240 against right-handers.
Vogelbach is a one-dimensional power bat that will hurt you in most other categories. His 30 homers in 2019 were a career-high, but he also owns a career-high .219 batting average which he accomplished in just 93 games last season.
The left-hand-hitting slugger is now playing on his fourth team since his 2016 MLB debut. His inability to hit consistently has frustrated his MLB teams, which will also annoy fantasy managers. As a result, Vogelbach is not someone I am targeting in any of my leagues.
Alternative Option: Michael Chavis
This is a fluid position with the San Diego Padres. The Padres have been linked to contacting Freddie Freeman, Nick Castellanos, and Nelson Cruz. With Cruz and Freeman now off the market, the Padres need to throw a ton of money at Castellanos or Michael Conforto. The DH situation is very bleak.
Current lineup projections have Jurickson Profar handling the DH spot, which should scare fantasy managers. Profar hit .227/.329/.320 with four homers and a .649 OPS but did swipe ten bases.
Profar is a quality utility player, but he has proven not to be an everyday player. In addition, the adjusted lineup doesn’t look so appealing with the shattering loss of all-world Fernando Tatis Jr.. The Padres need to go shopping for a DH.
Alternative Options: Not on the roster
The San Francisco Giants didn’t like their options at DH as we get closer to Opening Day, so they just signed Joc Pederson.
Pederson posted a .238/.310/.422 slash line between the Chicago Cubs and Atlanta Braves, hitting 18 homers and 19 doubles. The left-hand-hitting outfielder is a power threat who has surpassed 25 homers in a season four times in his career.
On the downside, he has never hit above .250 in a season. Additionally, he owns a feeble .208 batting average against southpaws. As a result, Pederson is the ideal platoon candidate and will sit against lefties, with Austin Slater and Darin Ruf getting the start as DH. Leagues that allow daily lineup changes can benefit from his power. However, roster and lineup management is even more essential with this type of one-dimensional hitter.
Alternative Option: Austin Slater, Darin Ruf
The DH situation with the St. Louis Cardinals is not enticing for fantasy managers. There will be multiple players platooning at DH, but I don’t see much fantasy appeal here in St. Louis unless they obtain an external option.
Rookie Lars Nootbaar was a pleasant surprise last season, but he was pretty inconsistent like most rookies. In August, he showed promise when he hit .318/.388/.591 with three homers and seven RBI in 19 games. However, he finished the season slashing .239/.317/.422 with five homers and 15 RBI across 58 games.
Nootbaar is the Cardinals’ fourth outfielder and is playing behind one of the better outfield units in the league. He is a lefty bat on the bench that will platoon with Nolan Gorman, who won’t crack the Cardinals infield and is looking for his first MLB at-bat. Another option is infielder Paul DeJong, who lost his shortstop job to Edmundo Sosa. DeJong smacked 19 homers in 113 games last season but couldn’t hit anything else with a batting average below the Mendoza Line.
Alternative Options: Nolan Gorman, Paul DeJong
Nelson Cruz cashed in on the addition of the universal DH in baseball. Cruz was a hot commodity on the free-agent market with an expanded available market. The 41-year-old Cruz signed a guaranteed $15 million payday with a $12 million one-year salary and a second-year mutual option with the Washington Nationals.
Cruz joins a National lineup that boasts Juan Soto, Josh Bell, and Lane Thomas but produced mediocre numbers last season. The seven-time All-Star slugged 32 homers and 86 RBI in 140 total games with the Tampa Bay Rays and Minnesota Twins last season.
He has been one of the best hitters for the past decade, hitting 30 or more home runs in seven of the past eight seasons. Cruz, who is just 51 homers from the 500 HR Club, is projected to hit third in the National, behind Juan Soto, so he should see plenty of good pitches. Cruz is the epitome of a DH and is one of the few DH-only options that fantasy managers should draft, especially if you need a boost in the power categories.
Alternative Option: Yadiel Hernandez
Already drafted? Import your team to My Playbook for instant Waiver Wire advice
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | SoundCloud | iHeartRadio
Beyond our fantasy baseball content, be sure to check out our award-winning slate of Fantasy Baseball Tools as you prepare for your draft this season. From our free mock Draft Simulator – which allows you to mock draft against realistic opponents – to our Draft Assistant – that optimizes your picks with expert advice – we’ve got you covered this fantasy baseball draft season.