Overview
The designated hitter (DH) rule allows a non-fielding specialist to bat in the pitcher's lineup spot. MLB's American League adopted it in 1973, and NPB's Pacific League followed in 1975. The Central League long preserved the traditional format in which pitchers bat, but on 4 August 2025 its board of directors formally decided to adopt the DH from the 2027 season, treating 2026 as a grace period before adoption, so the split between the two leagues lasts only through the 2026 season. That divergence has created fundamental differences in roster construction and in-game tactics. Pacific League clubs gain offensive firepower by slotting power hitters at DH, while Central League games feature strategic depth through pinch-hitting and pitching change decisions around the pitcher's spot. Interleague games follow the rules of the host club's league, with the DH used in Pacific League home games and not in Central League home games, so clubs from both leagues must adapt to the alternate format. MLB's 2022 universal DH adoption, together with decisions in Japanese amateur baseball, including the national high school federation and the Tokyo Big6 league, to use the DH from the 2026 season, helped push the Central League toward its decision.