Making a list of the top 10 designated hitters in Major League Baseball has become much more interesting since the introduction of the universal DH. While not every team has a primary DH, a good portion of the big leagues have a player who gets the majority of their plate appearances as the DH.
This includes veterans that front offices want to keep off their feet. There are poor defenders who have been moved to the DH spot after costing their team with the glove. Of course, there’s a two-way superstar sitting atop this list, too.
In some cases, players will be the DH to limit the risk of injury if they have endured several periods on the sidelines.
Here are the top 10 designated hitters currently in MLB:
1. Shohei Ohtani
Winner of three MVP awards in the last four seasons, Shohei Ohtani has taken his hitting to a new level in the last two years. His 180 wRC+ across 2023 and 2024 is by far the best among primary designated hitters, and he’s led his league in OPS in each of those campaigns.
Earlier in his MLB career, Ohtani was a good hitter. Much of his value came from being a two-way player. Since his final season as a Los Angeles Angel, the Japanese megastar has become a truly elite hitter, which saw him become the first player to win MVP as a DH.
2. Yordan Alvarez
ZiPS projects Yordan Alvarez to have a marginally higher wRC+ than Ohtani in 2025. Alvarez is the best hitter in baseball other than Aaron Judge and Ohtani – his 169 wRC+ over the last two seasons is far clear of any other DH.
After spending 53 games in left field in 2024, Alvarez is locked in as the Houston Astros’ DH in 2025. He’s unlikely to play more than 25 games in the field this year, cementing his place as the second-best designated hitter in Major League Baseball.
3. Marcell Ozuna
Marcell Ozuna has been one of the biggest beneficiaries of the universal DH. A former Gold Glove winner, Ozuna has long been a liability in the outfield. His last two seasons have been impressive at the plate, however, with a 147 wRC+. He also played all 162 games in the 2024 regular season.
Earning a fourth-placed MVP finish in 2024, Ozuna had phenomenal underlying metrics across the board, including a 10.8% walk rate and 96th percentile barrel rate. It’s not beyond the realms of possibility that he has the best 2025 season among all designated hitters.
4. Brent Rooker
Brent Rooker’s ZiPS projection of a 151 wRC+ puts him in a category of his own. He’s a far way behind Ohtani and Alvarez, but a long way ahead of the rest of the field. Rooker had a brilliant 2024 season, yet his wRC+ over the last two full seasons is still marginally lower than Ozuna’s.
The expected metrics were also a bit below Ozuna’s marks last season. Rooker walks less often, strikes out a bit more, and has a lower average exit velocity. While he’s likely to be a multi-time All-Star, it wouldn’t be a surprise if his .927 OPS in 2024 is the high-water mark for his career.
5. Rafael Devers
One of baseball’s worst defenders over the last few seasons, Rafael Devers has been moved to DH for the 2025 season. The Boston Red Sox acquired Alex Bregman to fill the third base void, allowing Devers to focus on hitting.
Devers made slight adjustments in 2024. He swung harder and was more selective at the plate, leading to a higher walk rate and lower strikeout rate. He also upped his barrel frequency. There wasn’t a massive difference in his overall production, but these tweaks increase his offensive ceiling.
6. Seiya Suzuki
After splitting his time between right field and DH in 2024, Seiya Suzuki is projected to get most of his plate appearances as a DH in 2025. Suzuki had a 134 OPS+ and amassed 6.7 bWAR over the 2023 and 2024 seasons.
With good strike zone discipline, excellent raw power, and above-average speed, Suzuki has the potential to hit 30 home runs and steal 20 bases. With the Chicago Cubs in a retooling period since he signed, his talents have perhaps been overlooked by the national audience.
7. Yandy Díaz
Predominantly a first baseman in 2023 and 2024, Yandy Díaz has made the move to full-time designated hitter for the 2025 regular season.Only four DHs are projected for a better wRC+ in 2025.
Perennially underrated on the often-forgotten Tampa Bay Rays, Díaz has only struck out in 14.9% of his plate appearances for his career and walked at a rate of 11.1%. Combine that with average exit velocities and hard-hit rates ranking above the 90th percentile, and you’ve got a very, very good hitter.
8. Kyle Schwarber
Ohtani is the only DH to have hit more homers than Kyle Schwarber across the 2023 and 2024 seasons. Schwarber, who boasts a 16.4% walk rate over that period, has generally been between 20 and 30% better than league average as a hitter.
The lefty slugger smokes the ball regularly. He’s got great plate discipline. While he’s a threat to lead the majors in home runs in any season, the high strikeout rate and relatively low contact hold him down in eighth in these rankings.
9. Wilmer Flores
A player in their age-33 season after a .595 OPS in 71 games in 2024 might be fortunate to break into this top 10. Wilmer Flores, though, had a 137 OPS+ as recently as 2023 and has started the 2025 season as one of baseball’s hottest hitters.
Flores has done a good job of limiting strikeouts throughout his career. He’s also got a well-deserved reputation as a clutch hitter, with his OPS in close, late-game situations sitting 4% higher than his overall career mark.
10. Ryan O’Hearn
After impressing as a rookie, Ryan O’Hearn struggled mightily as a Kansas City Royal. Fast forward to his time as a Baltimore Oriole, and O’Hearn had a 122 OPS+ across his first two seasons.
Just a handful of full-time designated hitters are projected for a better 2025 wRC+ than O’Hearn. The lefty has started the season strongly, with his trademark low strikeout rate accompanied by increased walk and hard-hit rates.
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