Editing Designated hitter (section)

==Awards==
[[File:Dodgers at Nationals (53677192000) (cropped).jpg|thumb|[[Shohei Ohtani]] won three [[Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award|Most Valuable Player award]]s while playing the majority of his games at designated hitter. In 2024, Ohtani became the first MVP winner to play exclusively at DH.]]
The [[Baseball Writers' Association of America]] presents an annual award to the outstanding designated hitter of the season, called the [[Edgar Martínez Award]]. Renamed for the former [[Seattle Mariners]] DH after his retirement in 2004,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/sports/2002052804_mari03.html|title=Edgar gives tip of the cap in tribute; M's fall to Rangers|first=Bob|last=Finnigan|newspaper=[[The Seattle Times]]|date=October 3, 2004|access-date=September 28, 2011}}</ref> the award was introduced in 1973 and has been given every season since, except 1994 due to [[1994–95 Major League Baseball strike|the players' strike]]. Multiple winners include [[David Ortiz]] (eight times), Martínez (five times), and [[Shohei Ohtani]] (four times).<ref name="David Ortiz DH award">{{Cite web |url=https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/david-ortiz-wins-8th-edgar-martinez-dh-award-three-more-than-edgar-ever-did/ |title=David Ortiz wins 8th Edgar Martinez DH award, three more than Edgar ever did |last=Snyder |first=Matt |date=November 30, 2016 |website=CBSSports.com |language=en |access-date=May 11, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Ohtani continues to rack up hardware with Outstanding DH Award |url=https://www.mlb.com/news/shohei-ohtani-wins-outstanding-designated-hitter-award-2024 |access-date=2025-04-15 |website=MLB.com |language=en}}</ref>

DHs have generally not had much impact on the [[Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award]] or [[National Baseball Hall of Fame]] voting, because of the relative rarity of the full-time DH and the DH not contributing defense.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/waynemcdonnell/2018/09/17/designated-hitter-stigma-could-be-an-unfortunate-reality-for-j-d-martinez/ |title=Designated Hitter Stigma Could Be An Unfortunate Reality For J.D. Martinez |last=McDonnell |first=Wayne G. Jr.  |date=September 17, 2018 |website=Forbes |language=en |access-date=May 13, 2019}}</ref>

In 2021, Shohei Ohtani became the first everyday DH to win league MVP honors, having played in 126 of 155 games (81.29%) at DH. However, Ohtani's MVP season was mainly due to his success as a [[two-way player]], having also logged 23 games as a pitcher and seven games in the outfield. In 2023, Ohtani won his second MVP award, playing 134 of 135 games as a DH that season while also pitching in 23 of those games. In 2024, Ohtani, now with the [[Los Angeles Dodgers]] in the National League, won his second consecutive MVP award, the first time the award was given to a player who exclusively played as a DH. Due to [[ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction|Tommy John surgery]] on his pitching elbow, Ohtani only played as a DH in 2024.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/o/ohtansh01.shtml|title=Shohei Ohtani Statistics and History|publisher=Sports Reference, LLC|work=[[Baseball-Reference]]|access-date=December 12, 2021}}</ref>

During the 1993 season [[Paul Molitor]] became the first player to win the [[World Series Most Valuable Player Award]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/postseason/1993_WS.shtml|title=1993 World Series|publisher=Sports Reference, LLC|work=[[Baseball-Reference]]|access-date=September 20, 2009}}</ref> while playing 137 of 160 games (85.63%) as a DH. [[Hideki Matsui]] (2009),<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/postseason/2009_WS.shtml|title=2009 World Series|publisher=Sports Reference, LLC|work=[[Baseball-Reference]]|access-date=November 6, 2009}}</ref> [[David Ortiz]] (2013),<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/postseason/2013_WS.shtml|title=2013 World Series|publisher=Sports Reference, LLC|work=[[Baseball-Reference]]|access-date=October 31, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/o/ortizda01.shtml|title=David Ortiz Statistics and History|publisher=Sports Reference, LLC|work=[[Baseball-Reference]]|access-date=October 31, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=DiComo|first=Anthony|title=Most Valuable Papi: Ortiz outstanding|url=https://www.mlb.com/news/most-valuable-papi-david-ortiz-outstanding-c63544092|website=MLB.com|publisher=Major League Baseball Advanced Media|date=October 31, 2013|access-date=November 2, 2017|archive-date=December 3, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171203204854/http://m.mlb.com/news/article/63544092|url-status=live}}</ref> and [[Jorge Soler]] (2021)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/postseason/2021_WS.shtml|title=2021 World Series|publisher=Sports Reference, LLC|work=[[Baseball-Reference]]|access-date=March 11, 2022}}</ref> were the only other DHs to win World Series MVP. Soler, playing for the [[Atlanta Braves]], was the only DH to win the award while a member of a National League team. In games played at National League parks, Ortiz and Molitor played at first base, while Soler played in right field. However, Matsui became the only World Series MVP to never play in the field that season, as he came in as a [[pinch hitter]] in the pitcher's spot but was never moved to a fielding position via a double switch during games played in a National League park.<ref>{{cite web |title=Hideki Matsui Statistics and History |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/matsuhi01.shtml |access-date=November 6, 2009 |work=[[Baseball-Reference]]}}</ref> Ortiz was also the first designated hitter to win the [[League Championship Series Most Valuable Player Award|ALCS MVP]] in 2004, followed by [[Delmon Young]] in 2012, and [[Yordan Alvarez]] in 2021.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/postseason/2004_ALCS.shtml|title=2004 League Championship Series – BOS vs. NYY|work=Baseball-Reference.com|access-date=September 3, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/postseason/2012_ALCS.shtml|title=2012 League Championship Series – DET vs. NYY|work=Baseball-Reference.com|access-date=January 12, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/postseason/2021_ALCS.shtml|title=2021 League Championship Series – BOS vs. HOU|work=Baseball-Reference.com|access-date=January 12, 2022}}</ref>

Among Hall of Famers, [[Paul Molitor]] and [[Jim Rice]] were, until 2014, the only inductees to even have played at least 25% of their games at DH, though Molitor played more games at DH than any other position during his career. In 2014, [[Frank Thomas]] became the first Hall of Famer who played the majority of his games at DH.<ref name="frank thomas hall DH">{{Cite web |last=Jaffe |first=Jay |date=November 27, 2018 |title=JAWS and the 2019 Hall of Fame Ballot: Edgar Martinez |url=https://blogs.fangraphs.com/jaws-and-the-2019-hall-of-fame-ballot-edgar-martinez/ |access-date=May 11, 2019 |website=[[FanGraphs]]}}</ref> In 2019, [[Edgar Martínez]] and [[Harold Baines]] were inducted into the Hall of Fame.<ref name="Edgar HOF elected" /><ref>[https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/mariners/with-edgar-martinez-and-harold-baines-going-in-has-the-dh-barrier-to-the-hall-of-fame-been-broken With Edgar Martinez and Harold Baines going in, has the DH barrier to the Hall of Fame been broken?], ''The Seattle Times''</ref> Martinez played over 70% of his games at DH. Baines played more than half of his games at DH, playing only 63 games in the field between 1989 and the end of his career in 2001.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Baines, Harold |url=https://baseballhall.org/hall-of-famers/baines-harold |access-date=2025-04-15 |website=Baseball Hall of Fame}}</ref> In 2022, [[David Ortiz]] became the first full-time DH to be elected to the Hall of Fame on his first ballot. Ortiz played 2,028 of his 2,306 career games (88%) at DH.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://baseballhall.org/hall-of-famers/ortiz-david|title=Hall of Famers: David Ortiz|publisher=National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum|access-date=January 25, 2022}}</ref>

Prior to 2020, only one [[List of Silver Slugger Award winners at designated hitter|designated hitter Silver Slugger Award]] was awarded, and only American League players were the recipients due to the National League awarding a [[List of Silver Slugger Award winners at pitcher|pitcher Silver Slugger Award]]. In 2020, and since 2022, both American and National Leagues began awarding Silver Slugger Awards for designated hitters. The first National League DH Silver Slugger Award was given to [[Marcell Ozuna]] in 2020.<ref name="SSAL">{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/awards/silver_slugger_AL.shtml|title=Silver Slugger Award Winners&nbsp;— American League|work=Baseball-Reference.com|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|access-date=March 9, 2009}}</ref><ref name="SSNL">{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/awards/silver_slugger_NL.shtml|title=Silver Slugger Award Winners&nbsp;— National League|work=Baseball-Reference.com|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|access-date=March 9, 2009}}</ref> In 2018, [[J. D. Martinez]] became the first and to date only player to win two Silver Slugger Awards in the same season, winning as both a designated hitter and a [[left fielder]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.mlb.com/news/j-d-martinez-makes-silver-slugger-history-c300468394 |title=J.D. first to win 2 Silver Sluggers in same year|last=Browne |first=Ian  |date=November 9, 2018 |website=MLB.com |language=en |access-date=February 23, 2024}}</ref>