Tom Brennan: Mets Will Thrive With The Delightful DH

In a recent "Open Thread" post, our highly informed Mack's Mets readers were asked the following:

The National League is now using the DH in 2020 and could permanently use them starting next season...your thoughts on this?

Well, one of our highly informed readers said the following:

Baseball is a strategy sport, not an offensive sport. If you want scoring, watch the NBA. 

I like the strategy of when to switch pitchers, how many batters until the pitcher's spot in the line-up comes up, and when to double switch or let the pitcher bat.

As far as more offense, the American League score a total of 251 more runs in 2019 then the National League scored. That amounts to 16.73 more runs per team, or 1 run every 10 games. To me, that is not worth losing the in game decisions.

The other argument that the player's union uses is that it adds a more expensive veteran to the roster, but the American League and the National League payrolls are very similar.

The last point that is made is about one pitcher a year who gets hurt batting. Well, more then that get hurt fielding each year, what is the next move, putting a fielder next to the pitcher so he doesn't have to field either, similar to coach pitch baseball for the little kids?

 Well, it is a personal decision for each fan.  

Me?  I find the use of a DH DEE-LIGHTFUL!

You see, I am a Mets fan since 1962 who has seen far too many anemic to dreadful offensive seasons out of the franchise's first 58 seasons!  Not helped, of course, by lousy hitting pitchers.  ME?? I WANT HITTING, AND I WANT IT NOW!

I know, I know, Jake deGrom is a nice hitter - for a pitcher, anyway, and Steve Matz is not so bad with the stick - but how many more runs would the Mets score if, instead of pitchers hitting, the Mets have hitters like the following batting as the DH: Yoenis Cespedes, J.D. Davis, Dominic Smith, and Robinson Cano?  

My guess is: A LOT!

After all, the Mets' pitchers had a fine (for pitchers) 2019 hitting-wise: 311 at bats, 6 HRs, 17 RBIs, .167, .198 OBP, and 10 walks vs. 136 Ks.  

For 2018, it was .143, .172 OBP, 18 RBIs....in 2017, a hearty .137 with a .175 OBP.

Heck, and we had it good!  In 2019, the Braves' pitchers hit (if that is the right word) just .102, with 157 Ks in 304 at bats. "No batter, no batter!"

538 Sports, in a March 15, 2019 article, wrote the following about the runs production disparity between the DH AL-utlizing teams and the non-DH NL teams:

AL teams have combined to average 4.59 runs per game over the past three years, while NL teams have averaged 4.46 runs per game. From 1994 to 2003, the peak of the so-called Steroids Era, the AL advantage in runs per game averaged 0.37. Over the past four years, the advantage has been 0.12 runs.

Not much of a difference, on the surface, but other factors enter into run differential, most notably which league has the better hitting non-DH hitters each year.

A better thing to consider is:

How did AL teams' DH hitters hit?

Now, of course, unlike pitchers who get pulled or pinch hit for frequently, AL DHs do not, so they compile more ABs.  But here are the big-time hitting results of some AL teams' DH contingent, showing how much more potent the DHs are:

Twins: .308/.380/.623, 52 HRs, 145 RBIs

KC:      .277/.367/.591, 44 HRs, 115 RBIs

Yanks: .243/.325/.491, 40 HRs, 98 RBIs

Astros: .277/.368/.560, 42 HRs, 110 RBIs

I think if this 2020 Mets team had played all 162 games, and not just 60, their DH numbers might have approached those of KC, the Yanks, and Astros above.

That's a lot of offense to pass up.  Too much.

I want that offense for the NY Mets.

Also, keep in mind where the deficit in pitcher at bats shows up....in increased pinch hitting.

For instance, the Yankees had just 52 pinch hitting at bats, the Astros with 63.  The Mets, on the other hand, had 226 ABs.  Very poor ones, too.  .212./.319/.385, 9 HRs, 38 RBIs.  In 2018, the hit .218 while pinch hitting in 216 at bats. In 2017, they "killed it" at .238 in pinch hitting opportunities.

When they went to the World Series in 2015, their pinch hitters hit just .202, with 23 RBIs in 213 at bats. 

Not all NL teams are so weak in pinch hitting - take for instance Pittsburgh, whose PHs hit .319/.395/.540 in 2019.

The Mets get an F for their pinch hitting prowess in too many seasons.

Conclusion: 

The Mets' pitchers have hit fairly well - for pitchers, that is.  

The Mets' pinch hitters, though, have hit like crap, as compared to their slugging AL DH counterparts, most likely because the Mets won't pay real DH money that an AL team like the Yanks, Astros, and Twins, because they would get insufficient at bats (as a DH for 10 games, pinch hitting, and an occasional start in the field) to warrant the high salary - hence, the Mets use a lot of mediocre hitters to pinch hit.  And get exactly what they pay for.

Simply put, way too little combined offense from the Mets' pitchers and pinch hitters.

So, Rob, and Mack, I have to disagree:

BRING ON THE METS' DH!!!