IT'S ONE OF the mysteries of the modern game of baseball: Why do so many teams receive so little "hitting" from their designated hitters?
A few weeks ago, I ran some of the numbers past Josh Bell, the regular designated hitter for the Cleveland Guardians. Some of those updated figures for 2023:
Three teams are hitting under .200 from the DH spot. Another six are hitting under .225.
The major league average OPS is .729. Thirteen teams are seeing their DHs produce an OPS worse than a league-average hitter.