What will happen with the introduction of the “DH system”? Manager Kazuki Inoue of Chunichi says, “This will change baseball in the Central League,” while pitcher Hiroto Takahashi adds, “This is what I hoped for—I’m happy.”

Amid the excitement of the summer Koshien tournament, a major development has emerged in professional baseball! Yesterday, the Central League, to which the Dragons belong, announced the introduction of the designated hitter (DH) system starting from the season after next.

The DH system allows teams to designate a player to bat in place of the pitcher during offensive plays. This enables pitchers to focus solely on pitching, reducing their workload, while players who excel at batting but struggle defensively gain more opportunities to contribute.

With this change, more power hitters are expected to take the plate, leading to higher-scoring and more aggressive gameplay.

(Dragons fans)
“I fully support the DH. I hope players who are weaker defensively will get more playing time.”
“Since the Pacific League already uses it, having it in the Central League would be exciting. We can expect clutch hitters to step up when needed.”
“I’m against it. Baseball should be about players who can both hit and pitch.”
“Having strong hitters focus solely on batting could lead to more home runs and other benefits. This might mark the beginning of a new era.”