Moving along with MMO’s preseason ranking of positional groups around the National League East is the designated hitter. Since the DH became a universal permanent fixture in 2022, some teams have thrived with the role while others are still figuring it out. Right now, the NL East is home to some of the best power-hitting teams in baseball, making it one of the most exciting divisions to watch.
Previous NL East Position Rankings:
No. 5: Avisaíl García – MIA
A season out from having one of the best-designated hitters in the league in Jorge Soler, the Marlins find themselves searching for a new solution at the role. Avisaíl García makes the most sense heading into the season as of now. Fleshing out the infield was the top priority heading into the offseason for the Fish, and in doing so, they sacrificed a bit of power.
When they signed García to a four-year deal in the 2021 offseason, he was coming off a .262/.330/.490 season and had his second-best OPS+ season with 119. His time in Miami, however, has been disastrous, with a lingering hamstring injury forcing him on and off the IL list. In two years with the Marlins, he’s played less than 150 games and has only hit 11 home runs, 12 doubles and struck out 148 times.
Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports
No. 4: Mark Vientos – NYM
While DJ Stewart will see time at the role, the DH spot is Mark Vientos‘ to lose in 2024. The “will they, won’t they” saga of signing a DH has been one of the hottest stories of the offseason for the Mets. With options dwindling, they might be waiting for the prices to drop for J.D. Martinez, but as of now, Vientos is their guy.
He played 65 games in 2023, and it doesn’t feel like he did. The biggest issue with Vientos was playing time, and he hasn’t gotten a chance to show what he’s got. The Mets are high on him and need to see what he’s got. His 10 career home runs in 274 plate appearances should be taken with a grain of salt.
One positive has been his exit velocity. According to Statcast, Vientos landed in the top five percent of the league in max exit velocity, averaging 114.9 mph. His 51.0% hard-hit percent also lands him in the top percentiles in the league. While the DH position isn’t set in stone for the Mets, expect Vientos to be the guy as of now.
Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
No. 3: Joey Meneses – WSH
There were doubts whether Joey Meneses would sustain the type of success he displayed when he debuted in 2022. After hitting .324/.367/.563/.930 in 56 games in 2022, Meneses followed his sensational debut with a .275/.321/.401/.722 slashline in his first full year in the majors. He led all designated hitters in hits (168), games (154) and doubles (36). He also ranked fourth in batting average behind Shohei Ohtani, Bryce Harper and Justin Turner.
With the Nationals in the middle of a rebuild, Meneses, who cracked the big league roster after a decade-long stint in the minors, looks to be a long-term fixture in Washington. Of concern is his ground ball rate. It leaped up from 2022, going from 44.8% to 48.6%. For a guy lacking in speed, that can turn into trouble when in key situations down the road.
No. 2: Marcell Ozuna – ATL
Hate him or love him, there’s no denying that Marcell Ozuna put up one of the best performances of 2023. He ranked in the 98th percentile in xSLG (.581) and barrel percentage (16.6%), 96th percentile in xwOBA (.396), 91st percentile in batting run value (25) and 89th percentile in xBA (.283). Simply put, Ozuna had a monstrous 2023. He finished the year with 40 homers, third best on the Braves, 29 doubles and 100 RBIs. Ozuna’s 139 wRC+ was 11th best in all of baseball.
However, it’s not the first time the power-hitter saw an outage when it came to the postseason. In the Braves’ single-game series, Ozuna’s postseason struggles continued when he only managed two hits in thirteen at-bats, and both were singles. Ozuna is no stranger to cold streaks, as he’s had somewhat of an up-and-down career. He’s never been able to find consistent success at the plate, so it’ll be curious what 2024 brings him after a hot 2023.
Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
No. 1: Kyle Schwarber – PHI
No surprise here. When Kyle Schwarber is on a role, he’s unstoppable. Who can forget his home run tyranny in June 2021, hitting 16 bombs in an 18-game span? Never one to hit for average, Schwarber is all about home runs and surprisingly, walks. It’s one of the most interesting stat lines in all of baseball. In 2023 Schwarber hit .197/.343/.474. To compare, Ozuna’s OBP for 2023 was .346, just a tick higher than Schwarber’s, but he hit .274.
Schwarber finished second in baseball in home runs with 47, and hit all 47 hard. He ranked in the 94th percentile in average exit velocity (92.4 mph) and the top four percent of the league in max exit velocity at 115.2 mph. When he’s not hitting homers, the next best thing about Schwarber is his ability to walk at a high rate. His 17.5% BB percentage ranked in the 99th percentile in all of baseball and was the best of his career.
With Bryce Harper taking residence at first base, it’s likely Schwarber will take up the DH role full-time after playing in the outfield. This isn’t the worst thing for the Phillies, as Schwarber was never the best defender; he had a -20 run value in 2023.
