The start of the 2022 season in Major League Baseball is just around the corner and all 30 teams have already started their engines with the goal of being the best by the end of the year. After concluding the employer’s strike that had this sport in the United States on pause.
Each squad wants to strengthen the squad to play daily and one of the positions that will be the main attraction when it comes to taking turns at the plate is, without a doubt, that of the Designated Hitter (especially for the National League side, which since now he will implement it in his lineups and giving pitchers rest).
After the upper echelons of the MLB and the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) announced last Thursday that the lockout had come to an end after 99 days of maximum uncertainty, many important names are beginning to sound loud to take over full-time from that position in the lineup and even more so when free agency opens up that possibility of reinforcing that section.
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Nelson Cruz (who was released last year by Tampa Bay after moving there from Minnesota) is a clear candidate to establish himself as a regular DH, given his advantage of easily hitting home runs in addition to getting on base and scoring runs.
For life, the native of Las Matas de Santa Cruz has a .280 average in 17 seasons in that position but with a .540 slugging percentage, 235 home runs and 630 RBI, being a determining factor for any organization that wants to hire him for this harvest In 2021, Cruz hit .265, .497 SLG, hitting 32 HRs and chartering 86.
with the wind in favor
Other players who also come out more than favored by this new measure to be used in the National League as well as the American are Nick Castellanos (.576 SLG, .309 AVE and 34 HR in 2021), Bryce Harper (despite his injury problems and if he is in good health in 2022, he could be a candidate for DH) and Marcell Ozuna, who was champion of the 2021 World Series with Atlanta and for much of the campaign, was able to act that way when he faced rivals from the Young Circuit.
Of the Creoles, Willson Contreras (.283 AVE, .533 SLG, 4 HR, 16 CI in his career) and Salvador Pérez (for life: .237 AVE, 27 HR, 65 CI) would be feasible options.
