The Ohtani Rule, which isn’t called that, needs to be altered or else dropped. It’s unfair. Designated hitters and pitchers have never previously been the same player during the fifty plus years history of the worst rule change in baseball history, This Not Ohtani rule says that , while designated hitters and pitchers who are replaced during a game are done for the day, there is one exception. The Not Ohtani Rule allows that if a pitcher starts a game, he can continue to take his turn in the batting order if he is replaced as a pitcher. Shohei Ohtani is the only player out of nearly 800 major league players who gets to do this. Rafael Devers doesn’t pitch. Logan Webb doesn’t bat. The Los Angeles Dodgers really did get a lot for their money.

Now, if the accommodation made for just one player is quickly improved by the addition of at least 15 more teams signing players who hit well and also are starting pitchers (which not so long ago was not out of the question) it would become fair. But that’s not going to happen. Babe Ruth had to quit pitching when he became an outfielder. Madison Bumgarner, Don Newcombe, Warren Spahn, Tim Hudson, Jack Harshman, Rick Wise, and Carlos Zambrano are just a few of the good hitting pitchers who would be denied at bats with today’s rules unless they were designated hitters on their off days from pitching. This change was approved not to improve the game but to increase the “M” word which is usually represented by dollar signs. Rule changes should benefit all teams or else be subject to the accusation of being too much like the way Congress acts (or doesn’t).

Therefore, MLB has only two options that could remove the unfair stigma: 1) Eliminate the designated hitter position or 2)Eliminate the Not Ohtani Rule. Too many good hitting players who also pitch are being forced to choose what they would rather do at far too young an age. Choose option one and make baseball (eventually) more fun again.