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As baseball has evolved, so too has the role of the designated hitter (DH), becoming a vital position in the sport’s landscape. Over time, certain players have distinguished themselves in this role, leaving an undeniable impact on the game. From clutch hitters to power sluggers, these individuals have earned their place among the greatest designated hitters of all time.
25. Rusty Staub
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One of the best pinch-hitters in Major League Baseball history, Staub enjoyed a career that began in 1963 and spanned parts of three decades. The designated hitter was adopted by the American League 11 seasons into Staub’s career. Playing the majority of his career with Detroit, the .279 career hitter was the DH in more than 470 of the 2,951 games he played in the majors.
24. Cecil Fielder
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The best years of Fielder’s career came with the Detroit Tigers in the early 1990s. A good amount of Fielder’s work came as a first baseman, but he made 2,118 plate appearances as the DH. From that spot, Fielder hit 98 of his 319 career home runs. He might not be synonymous with the position, but Fielder was an impact DH in limited action.
23. Hideki Matsui
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Mostly known as an outfielder during his time with the New York Yankees, Matsui also enjoyed some success as a DH — especially late in his career. The Japanese slugger and nine-time All-Star saw action in almost 500 games as the designated hitter and neared 500 hits while slotting in as an everyday hitter. He was the DH throughout New York’s 2009 postseason run. In 15 games, Matsui recorded a .349/.462/.674 slash line and collected 6 RBIs in Game 6 of the World Series en route to being awarded WS MVP.
22. Rico Carty
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The DH surfaced during the second half of Carty’s career, and he made more than 600 appearances at the position while playing mostly for Cleveland. Perhaps the least recognized name on this list, Carty was a solid outfielder during his career but hit more than 80 home runs as a DH. Always a consistent hitter, Carty recorded a .299 career batting average and won a batting title in 1970.
21. Jim Rice
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Rice is one of the great outfielders in Major League Baseball history while spending his entire career with Boston in the ’70s and ‘80s. However, Rice hit almost 100 home runs while making more than 520 appearances as the designated hitter. That’s enough to receive some love in this department. In 1978, Rice’s MVP season, he made 49 appearances at DH. He ended his career with 382 HR and led the league in that category three times.
20. Andre Thornton
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Thornton began his career in 1973 with the Chicago Cubs, but he is best known for his time with the Cleveland Indians from 1977 until his playing days ended in 1987. He was in the designated hitter spot for more than 730 games and hit over 120 home runs from that place in the lineup. Three times during his career, Thornton belted at least 32 homers – all with the Indians. Thornton finished his career with a .811 OPS and more walks (876) than strikeouts (851).
19. Cliff Johnson
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While playing for seven different teams from 1972-‘86, Johnson served as the DH in more than 740 games. A career .258 hitter, Johnson hit 196 home runs and drove home 699 runs. He was considered one of the most dependable hitters in the game during the ’70s and half of the ‘80s. Johnson made appearances as a designated hitter in the postseason for the Yankees, Athletics, and Blue Jays. He was a two-time World Series winner with New York in ’77 and ’78
18. Dave Parker
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Long-time baseball fans relate to “The Cobra” more for his rifle of an arm from right field than his bat. However, Parker was in the DH role for more than 480 games during his stellar career. In ’89 with Oakland and again in ’90 with Milwaukee, Parker was awarded the majors’ Outstanding Designated Hitter Award. Parker was also a three-time Silver Slugger recipient who led the league in total bases on three occasions.
17. Reggie Jackson
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“Mr. October” is one of the greatest right fielders in the history of the game, but he was showcased as the DH in more than 620 games during his Hall of Famer career. A good chunk of those appearances came with the California Angels in the 1980s, and Jackson hit just over 100 of his 563 home runs from the designated hitter spot.
16. Greg Luzinski
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“The Bull” spent the first 11 seasons of his career in the National League with Philadelphia, winning a World Series in 1980. When he joined his hometown Chicago White Sox in 1981, Luzinski spent most of his time as a DH. In helping the White Sox win the AL West title in 1983, he was named baseball’s top DH for the second time while hitting 32 home runs and driving in 95 runs.
15. Willie Horton
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A multiple-time winner of baseball’s Outstanding Designated Hitter Award, the big-bopping Horton is a Detroit Tigers legend. The four-time All-Star spent more than 750 games as the designated hitter, clubbing nearly 100 of his 325 career home runs from the position. Horton was one of the first stars of the game to truly make a living as a DH. He can be viewed as a pioneer for what the role has become today.
14. Mike Sweeney
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Not only is Sweeney one of the more underrated DH’s of all time, but he probably does not get the credit he deserves as one of the major’s top hitters ever. He spent most of his 16 seasons with the Kansas City Royals. A lifetime .297 hitter, Sweeney played the majority of his games as a DH (608) and had an OPS of .805 while nailing down that position.
13. Travis Hafner
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The mid-2000s were very good to Hafner, who hit 200 of 213 home runs in 1,043 games as a designated hitter, including 42 in 2006. The long-time Cleveland Indians slugger, Hafner finished his career as a .273 lifetime hitter and topped 1,100 hits. Unfortunately, Hafner tended to be overshadowed by that masher in Boston when it came to the best DH’s of the first decade of this century.
12. Hal McRae
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Three times (’76, ’80, ’82) during his career, McRae was named the AL’s top designated hitter. He filled that spot almost 1,400 times and had 143 home runs while posting 808 RBIs. The position allowed McRae to showcase himself as one of the game’s best hitters – considering he batted .295 and drew 482 walks from that spot.
11. Don Baylor
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Not many enjoyed the kind of elite career that Baylor did as both a player and manager in the majors. An All-Star, World Series champion, MVP, Silver Slugger Award winner, and NL Manager of the Year, the late Baylor’s resume is tough to top. He began his career in 1970 and played up until 1988, and throughout that span, Baylor was a DH almost 1,300 times and hit more than 200 homers and drove in over 800 runs.
10. Nelson Cruz
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Nelson Cruz is the ageless wonder. The seven-time All-Star finally called it quits last year after an illustrious career. Cruz ends his playing days with over 1,000 appearances at DH. He was seemingly getting better with age. Cruz belted 244 HR from ’14-’19 which were his age 33-to-38 seasons. He was named a Silver Slugger on four occasions. Cruz was an absolute monster who could bolster the middle of any lineup he walked into.
9. Brian Downing
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Downing, whose career began in 1973, played more than 2,300 games in the majors. More than 800 of those contests came as a DH and most while a member of the California Angels. While penciled in the lineup at the position, Downing hit over .270 and clubbed more than 120 home runs during a solid 20-year career that included an All-Star nod in 1979.
8. Chili Davis
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There’s good reason Davis has found a living as a hitting coach in the majors after collecting 2,380 hits and belting 350 home runs. After spending the early portion of his career in the NL with San Francisco, Davis had no trouble serving as one of the top DH’s in the game when heading over to the American League. Davis hit 200 home runs as a DH while playing 1,161 games at that spot.
7. Shohei Ohtani
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There aren’t many who have done it better than Shohei. The Japanese superstar hit the ground running as soon as he entered the league. His two-way abilities as a pitcher made him lean toward the DH role on his off days. And, he’s already one of the best the game has ever seen. In ’23, Ohtani led the league in OBP, SLG, OPS, and total bases en route to capturing his second league MVP. He’ll continue to rise the ranks of this list as his Dodger career unfolds.
6. Jim Thome
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One of the nicest guys in baseball, Thome is a player everybody seemed to root for no matter what team he was on. The Hall of Famer was more than a serviceable first baseman but managed to extend his career and remain a dominant hitter in the game as a DH late during his run. Thome spent more than 800 games as a DH, hitting 205 homers with a .923 OPS.
5. Harold Baines
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There are those who feel Baines was not worthy of his Hall of Fame selection. However, as far as this list goes, Baines is a no-doubt top-5 pick. Best known for his days with the Chicago White Sox during the 1980s, Baines appeared as the DH in more than 1,600 games. While doing so, Baines recorded 236 home runs, and 293 doubles while posting a ridiculous 981 RBIs to go along with a solid .291 career average from the position.
4. Paul Molitor
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Molitor was one of the more versatile stars in the game, but his legacy is as a pure, professional hitter. The Hall of Famer — who played 1,172 games as a DH — hit 102 home runs from that spot, even though he was never considered a true power hitter. Molitor also collected 1,457 of his 3,319 hits while penciled in as the designated hitter whether as a member of the Milwaukee Brewers, Toronto Blue Jays, or Minnesota Twins.
3. Frank Thomas
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Affectionately known as “The Big Hurt,” Thomas had some great years as a first baseman with the Chicago White Sox. However, the hulking Hall of Famer truly flourished from the DH spot. He went deep 269 times and drove home 881 runs from the designated hitter position during a career that lasted a remarkable 19 seasons — and featured a total of 521 homers with a .301 lifetime average.
2. David Ortiz
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The man known as “Big Papi” had not lived up to his potential with Minnesota early in his career. That all changed when Ortiz landed in Boston and became a Red Sox legend. In 2,029 of his 2,408 career games, Ortiz was slotted as the designated hitter. From that position, Ortiz batted .289, smashed 485 home runs, and slugged .559. If there was any player in baseball history made for the DH, it was the 10-time All-Star and future Hall of Famer.
1. Edgar Martinez
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It can be argued that Ortiz or Thomas are deserving of this honor, but Martinez usually is – and should be – the first name that comes to mind when talking about the designated hitter. After all, the Outstanding Designated Hitter Award is now named after Martinez. He spent a little more than 1,400 of his 2,055 major-league games as a DH. Martinez was a career .312 hitter who collected 2,247 hits and also deposited 309 home runs to rightfully earn a spot in the Hall of Fame.
