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Who is the best DH in Baseball?

Years ago, the Designated Hitter role was one that was just played in the American League, but with Major League Baseball looking to bring more power to the league, the role has expanded league wide. That came with plenty of criticism, and while some old-school fans and analysts still don’t like the rule, it’s safe to say that it’s been a positive for baseball.

Now, some of the best hitters in the league can focus purely on their role at the plate, and it’s resulted in the DH becoming one of the deeper positions in the entire sport. Given their lack of play in the field, their value is certainly debated, and with so much talent, it’s hard to rank them perfectly, but now, we’ll take a shot.

Here is a look at the Top 10 MLB Designated Hitters 2026 Rankings list:

Honorable Mention

Nathaniel Lowe

Team: Cincinnati Reds

Nathaniel Lowe has been a very consistent player in recent years, and while he relies more on contact than power, he’s shown flashes of elite level power through 49 AB’s thus far in 2026. In that time with the Reds, he’s hit 5 out of the park to go along with 15 RBI, and while he has been limited to 23 games, the 23-year old could finally start to bring the power consistently.

Hitting in one of the more hitter friendly ballparks in baseball certainly doesn’t hurt, but after a career that’s seen him hit 19 home runs a year over the past 5 seasons, he is finding his consistency. Only time will tell if he can stay healthy, but if he can, he may find himself fully on this list by the end of the 2026 campaign.

George Springer

Team: Toronto Blue Jays

2026 has been a year full of injuries thus far for the Toronto Blue Jays, and that’s certainly effected the overall standing of veteran DH George Springer league wide. As a result of a toe injury, he’s been limited to just 18 games, but as usual, he’s been hitting in the clutch and remains one of Toronto’s best overall hitters at 36-years of age.

Like others, Springer makes this list as an honorable mention due to his proven performances in the past, where he hit one of Toronto’s biggest home runs in the playoffs a year ago. While he played in just 140 games a year ago, Springer still tallied 32 home runs and 84 RBI, and when healthy, it’s hard to deny just how effective he remains.

Top 10 MLB Designated Hitters 2026 Rankings

10. Giancarlo Stanton

Team: New York Yankees

In years gone by, Giancarlo Stanton has been one of, if not the best Designated Hitter in all of baseball, supported by potential Hall of Fame level power for the Miami Marlins and New York Yankees. While he hasn’t hit more than 40 home runs since 2017, Stanton has been very consistent in recent times, averaging 28 home runs in 108 games per season across the past five years.

This season, the 36-year old has three home runs and 14 RBI for a loaded Yankees lineup that relies on other players more but with a solid .724 OPS, he’s still a very valuable DH. When the playoffs come, Stanton often takes his game to another level, so while he may not look dominant in the regular season anymore, his track record and pure power make him one of baseball’s best DH’s even in 2026.

9. Ivan Herrera

Team: St. Louis Cardinals

Ivan Herrera has shown great potential early in his MLB career with the St. Louis Cardinals, but last season, he established himself as a high level DH and one of the best in all of baseball. While the RBI’s haven’t come in waves early this season with just 14, an OBP of .417 has shown that Hererra is capable of getting on base in many different ways, something that will help him moving forward as the power numbers aren’t yet elite.

Last year, he posted a career high of 19 to go along with 66 RBI, but given that he has just 28 total in his career, he may never be a player that has 30+ in a season. That doesn’t mean he can’t be effective however, and at 25-years of age, it appears as though Hererra is just now entering what could be a very good prime at the big league level.

8. Josh Bell

Team: Minnesota Twins

Josh Bell is one of the most experienced DH’s in all of baseball, and after finding himself on yet another team in 2026, he’s once again established himself as a threat in the middle of the order. Bell already has 11 seasons under his belt, and last year was his fourth with over 20 home runs, and with an average of just .218 this season, he’ll no doubt need to improve all round early in the season.

With 3 home runs and 17 RBI through his first 33 games however, he’s doing enough to solidify himself on this list, and while his place is certainly in danger, right now he remains a major threat.

7. Brent Rooker

Team: Athletics

Brent Rooker and the Athletics are one of the most exciting young teams in baseball, and given the veteran presence he provides in the middle of the order, Rooker is key to the future of the organization. In three seasons with the A’s, Rooker has quickly established himself as one of the top power threats in baseball, and while he has just three home runs this season, he’s got the track record that gives him a spot on this list.

Unfortunately, he’s been limited to just 18 games played this season, and with injuries already plaguing him early in the season, his run of great success is under threat. With an average of just .162, it’s safe to say that there’s major room for improvement, until he struggles over a long stretch, he will remain one of the top DH’s in baseball.

6. Moises Ballesteros

Team: Chicago Cubs

At 22-years of age, Moises Ballesteros is by far and away the youngest player on this list, and in just his second year, he appears to be taking a major step forward already. In 2025, Ballesteros had just 66 at bats, and in 2026, he’s had 92 across 30 games, and in that time he’s managed to put together 6 big flies and 18 RBI as he shows off significant potential for his power.

On top of that, he also hits .317, the best among full-time DH’s across baseball, with the .978 OPS showing that he’s not just a talented rookie, but a genuinely great hitter already. As a young player, he’ll no doubt go through the ups and downs that most on this list have already been through, but given his early production, it’s hard to deny him a place on this list.

5. Yandy Diaz

Team: Tampa Bay Rays

Overall, the Tampa Bay Rays offense has been one of the worst in all of baseball, but that hasn’t slowed down Yandy Diaz, who finally put together all of his potential for a career year last season. In that campaign, he managed career highs in bombs and RBI with 25 and 83, and this season, he’s showing flashes of taking another step forward, posting 5 and 21 through his first 31 games this season.

With an OPS of .926 on the season, Diaz ranks 15th in all of baseball, with the contact numbers continuing to trend up after a promising start to his career. Right now, Diaz is set for free agency in the winter of 2026, and if he keeps up this play, he’ll be one of the most sought after players in the sport when the season ends.

4. Jorge Soler

Team: Los Angeles Angels

While he’s not the biggest name around baseball, Jorge Soler has been a very solid player in baseball for years now, and after dominating the post-season back in 2021, he’s continued to get great opportunities. This year, he’s slotted right in to the four-hole in Los Angeles with the Angels, with the power that he’s shown over his career clearly going nowhere.

In 31 games played, Soler currently has 7 home runs and 26 RBI, and after a negative WAR a year ago, his number sitting at 0.4 already this season indicates a major step forward for the 34-year old. Given the Angels overall team struggles, he’ll be a hot commodity heading into the trade deadline, but for now, he’ll need to keep proving he belongs on this list, as we’ve seen him dominate over long stretches in years gone by.

3. Kyle Schwarber

Team: Philadelphia Phillies

When it comes to pure power, there’s very few hitters in recent memory that fit that bill like Kyle Schwarber, and after the Philadelphia Phillies gave him $150 million this past winter, they proved how valuable he remains.

On the back of a very good few seasons in Philly, Schwarber took it to a whole new level in 2025, setting career highs in home runs (56), RBI (132), WAR (4.6) and games played (162). This season, he’s third in big flies with 11 while adding 20 RBI for a Phillies team that has struggled mightily, with very little of that having to do with their star DH.

Overall, Schwarber is built to be a DH in the modern MLB, and if he can get the average up around the .240-.250 mark, he’ll once again be a defining piece of the MLB season.

2. Yordan Alvarez

Team: Houston Astros

Last season was Yordan Alvarez’ worst in his big league career due to injury, as he appeared in just 48 games, but in that time he was still solid, posting 6 big flies and 27 RBI’s for the Houston Astros. This season, he’s somehow taken his game to another level entirely, as he already has double that amount of home runs and the same amount of RBI, just in 13 games less than he played in 2025.

On top of that, his OPS of 1.097 is second in all of baseball behind New York’s Ben Rice, with a WAR of 1.7 showing just how valuable he’s been to this lineup so far. With four straight incredible seasons of 30+ home runs and 85+ RBI under his belt, Alvarez has earned his reputation around Major League Baseball, and in 2026 thus far, he’s on pace for career highs across the board.

1. Shohei Ohtani

Team: Los Angeles Dodgers

Almost from the moment he arrived in Major League Baseball, Shohei Ohtani has not only been the best Designated Hitter in the sport, but has been one of, if not the best player in baseball all together. In 2026, he’s off to somewhat of a slow start, as he has followed up seasons of 44, 54 and 55 home runs with just six to this point, showing that the power has somewhat slowed down.

However, he’s still taking the mound every fifth day, and while that doesn’t play into DH rankings, given how he’s proven himself over the past five years especially, he remains the top player at the DH spot in the sport. With so much talent around him in the Dodgers lineup, the production will come, and with an OPS of .824, the underlying numbers still look very good for the global superstar.