page_title: Designated hitter
hierarchical_section_title: Designated hitter
caption_attribution_description: Seattle Mariners player Edgar Martinez.
context_page_description: In baseball, the designated hitter is a player that bats in place of the pitcher. The position is authorized by Major League Baseball Rule 5.11, and was adopted by the American League in 1973. Since then, almost all amateur, collegiate, and professional leagues have adopted the rule or some variant with the notable exception of MLB's National League and Nippon Professional Baseball's Central League.
  For the 2020 Major League Baseball season, the National League will use the designated-hitter rule for the first time.
context_section_description: In baseball, the designated hitter (DH) is a player that bats in place of the pitcher. The position is authorized by Major League Baseball Rule 5.11, and was adopted by the American League in 1973. Since then, almost all amateur, collegiate, and professional leagues have adopted the rule or some variant with the notable exception of MLB's National League and Nippon Professional Baseball's Central League.
  For the 2020 Major League Baseball season, the National League will use the designated-hitter rule for the first time.
caption: Edgar Martínez, who spent most of his career as the full-time designated hitter for the Seattle Mariners, was elected into the Hall of Fame in 2019.[1]
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