The game of baseball is built around multiple elements including pitching, hitting, field, and baserunning making it one of the most difficult games to play around the world.

The game being so difficult to play, it makes having great hitters even more valuable for any team while some of the game’s best hitters slot in at the designated hitter slot.

With the addition of the designated hitter in both the American League and National League the list of top DH’s have grown. This includes as you look at the Top 10 MLB Best Designated Hitters 2023 Rankings list.

Headlining the list of the top designated hitters during the first two months of the 2023 Major League Baseball schedule is the St. Louis Cardinals Nolan Gorman.

Gorman who is just 23 years old ranks among the leaders in hits, home runs, and runs batted in among all designated hitters including leading the group with 40 runs batted in over his first 50 games this season.

Joining Gorman on the list of the top designated hitters include Jorge Soler of the Miami Marlins, J.D. Martinez of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Joey Meneses of the Washington Nationals, and Kyle Schwarber of the Philadelphia Phillies. Here is a look at the Top 10 Best MLB Designated Hitters 2023 Rankings.

Honorable Mention

Brandon Belt

Team: Toronto Blue Jays

Landing just outside of the Top 10 MLB Designated Hitters 2023 Rankings is the Toronto Blue Jays designated hitter Brandon Belt. Belt, a former top prospect of the San Francisco Giants, had issues with injuries over the course of his MLB career limiting him to fewer than 100 games in each of the three previous seasons.

Joining the Blue Jays for the 2023 MLB season, Belt has appeared in 39 games for the team while posting a .252 batting average over 123 at bats including 10 doubles and two home runs. 

Josh Bell

Team: Cleveland Indians

A second designated hitter just missing the cut on the 10 best designated hitters list is the Cleveland Guardians Josh Bell. Bell, who is on his 4th team since the 2020 MLB season, is looking to latch on with the Cleveland Guardians during the 2023 MLB season.

Bell is currently batting .222 on the season while picking up 39 hits over his first 176 at bats. Over that stretch Bell has posted 11 doubles to go along with three home runs and 22 runs batted in. On the year Bell ranks 4th among designated hitters in doubles and tied for 9th in runs batted in.

Top 10 Designated Hitters

10. Harold Ramirez

Team: Tampa Bay Rays

Coming in at number 10 on the Top 10 MLB Designated Hitters 2023 Rankings list is the Tampa Bay Rays 28-year-old designated hitter Harold Ramirez.

Ramirez is one piece of a large pool of talented Rays that have performed at a high level this season helping the team get off to one of the hottest stars in baseball history.

The Rays designated hitter is currently batting .295 over the course of his first 42 games of the season. Over those 42 games, Ramirez has posted 14 multi hit performances to go along with 44 total hits on the year including six doubles and eight home runs to go along with 23 runs batted in.

9. Andrew McCutchen

Team: Pittsburgh Pirates

The former NL MVP and Pittsburgh Pirates designated hitter elected to return to the Pirates for the 2023 MLB season. A move that has paid off for both McCutchen as well as the organization as the veteran brings leadership to a very young team.

McCutchen currently ranks tied for 7th among designated hitters with seven home runs to start the season. In addition, McCutchen has picked up 43 hits including six doubles and eight home runs over his first 165 at bats while driving in 20 runs on the season.

8. Justin Turner

Team: Boston Red Sox

Another aging veteran holding down one of the top designated hitter spots is the former Los Angeles Dodgers World Series hero Justin Turner.

Turner who made his MLB debut back during the 2009 MLB season has racked up over 1,440 career games over his career while posting a career .288 batting average.

In 51 games during the 2023 MLB season the Red Sox designated hitter is batting .265 with 50 hits over his first 189 at bats including 10 doubles and six home runs. In addition, Turner has posted a .356 on base percentage to go along with 29 runs scored and 20 runs batted in.

7. Byron Buxton

Team: Minnesota Twins

A former Top MLB Prospect Byron Buxton of the Minnesota Twins has struggled to stay healthy since arriving in the majors. When on the field Buxton has ranked among the top outfielders in the game and now as one of the top designated hitters.

Coming off a 28 home run season and 51 runs batted in campaign last season in just 92 games, expectations were set high for Buxton as the team focused on playing him as an everyday designated hitter.

Through 48 games this season the Twins designated hitter has posted 40 hits including nine doubles, one triple, and 10 home runs while driving in 23 runs and scoring 31 runs for a Twins team fighting for the AL Central division.

6. Charlie Blackmon

Team: Colorado Rockies

Over his career Charlie Blackmon has been the face of the Colorado Rockies organization while posting four seasons with at least 20 plus home runs and three seasons with at least 80 runs batted in.

The longtime Rockies veteran has continued that success in 2023 while playing in 48 games for the team to start the 2023 MLB schedule.

Over those 48 games, Blackmon has posted a .287 batting average while picking up 51 hits in his first 178 at bats of the season.  Currently Blackmon ranks tied for 1st with 13 doubles and a .369 OPS mark. 

5. Kyle Schwarber

Team: Philadelphia Phillies

Rounding out the Top 5 on the Top 10 MLB Designated Hitters 2023 Rankings is the Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter and playoff hero Kyle Schwarber.

The Phillies designated hitter continues to hit for power during the 2023 MLB season posting 13 home runs over his first 184 at bats of the season.

Despite the power numbers, Schwarber continues to struggle posting just a .168 batting average dropping him down to number five. To go along with being tied for the 2nd most home runs among designated hitters, Schwarber leads all designated hitters with 39 walks to start the season while driving his on base percentage to a .323 mark.

4. Joey Meneses

Team: Washington Nationals

An unfamiliar name among the list of the top designated hitters is the Washington Nationals 31-year-old outfielder Joey Meneses. Meneses, who made his MLB debut last season and hit .324 in 56 total games is currently batting .294 over his first 51 games of the 2023 MLB season. 

In addition to ranking among the best batting averages among designated hitters, Menses currently sits tied for 1st in doubles with 13 and leads all designated hitters with 63 hits on the season. The Nationals star has also added 21 runs scored to go with 28 runs batted in and a .335 on base percentage.

3. J.D. Martinez

Team: Los Angeles Dodgers

The veteran slugger continues to rank among the best hitters in baseball while playing in just 39 games to start the 2023 MLB season. Through his first 39 games with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Martinez has posted 13 doubles, 11 home runs, two triples, and 36 runs batted in to go along with a .276 batting average.

Currently Martinez ranks tied for 1st in doubles and triples, tied for 4th in home runs, and 2nd in runs batted in among MLB designated hitters.

Over those 39 games, Martinez has posted at least one hit in 29 of his 39 games this season as well as multi hit performances in 10 games over that stretch.

2. Jorge Soler

Team: Miami Marlins

Coming off a down season while battling injuries, Jorge Soler turned to the 2023 MLB season for a bounce back season. That is exactly what the two-time World Series Champion and World Series MVP is doing to start the 2023 MLB season.

The 31-year-old veteran designated hitter has surpassed his season’s high I home runs for each of the previous five seasons by connecting on 17 home runs over his first 52 games of the 2023 MLB season.

To go along with the 17 home runs, Soler has added 10 doubles and drove in 35 runs while posting a 1.0 Wins Above Replacement (WAR) mark. Soler ranks among the tops in hits, doubles, home runs, and runs batted in among all MLB designated hitters this season.

1. Nolan Gorman

Team: St. Louis Cardinals

In at number one on the Top 10 MLB Designated Hitters 2023 Rankings is the St. Louis Cardinals designated hitter Nolan Gorman.

Gorman is currently batting .276 on the season over his first 170 at bats. Over the course of those 170 at bats, Gorman has posted 47 hits including 10 doubles 13 home runs while driving in 40 runs and posting a .367 on base percentage.

The numbers don’t stop there as Gorman has posted a .565 slugging percentage mark and a .932 OPS mark to go along with a 1.9 Wins Above Replacement (WAR) mark. Gorman currently leads all designed hitters in WAR, OPS and Slugging Percentage, 

How would you rank these designated hitters in the 2023 MLB season? Rank below to be added in the MLB Power Rankings.

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