2020 MLB Season: NL DH Power Rankings

See which newly-appointed DH takes the top spot for the 2020 MLB season.

For the first time in Major League Baseball history, National League lineups will exclusively consist of a designated hitter. The universal DH incorporation is a result of a wildly truncated 2020 MLB season, but MLB has been pondering the change for quite some time.

A proliferation in run-scoring is inevitable, which should make for more entertaining baseball. Plus, 15 jobs have come available in the National League.

To have some fun with an untouched, never-before-analyzed aspect of NL baseball, we opted to power rank the players that will presumably fill the 15 DH openings.

Before jumping into the rankings, take a look at our list of candidates:

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• Marcell Ozuna – Braves
• Garrett Cooper – Marlins
• Yoenis Cespedes – Mets
• Eric Thames – Nationals
• Jay Bruce – Phillies
• Ryan Braun – Brewers
• Matt Carpenter – Cardinals
• Kyle Schwarber – Cubs
• Jose Osuna – Pirates
• Nick Castellanos – Reds
• Jake Lamb – Diamondbacks
• Matt Beaty – Dodgers
• Hunter Pence – Giants
• Josh Naylor – Padres
• Daniel Murphy – Rockies

15. Jay Bruce

Bruce is a mere all-or-nothing hitter in today’s game. He’ll strike out a bunch and hit for a low average, but he’ll pop several clutch home runs along the way. He hit 26 dingers between the Mariners and Phillies in 2019. He’s also hit 312 homers over his 12-year career.

The Phillies will use him strategically in 2020, confining him to favorable matchups and spreading him throughout the lineup. He’ll have a look at more playing time thanks to the National League DH addition.