Top 10 Designated Hitters in Major League Baseball in 2025

The 2025 season provided a lot of excitement at the DH position. Several players on this list challenged what the typical designated hitter looks like, while the big names continued to exude their power against any pitcher they faced.

Typically, DHs are mostly power hitters and central pieces in their team’s offenses. This past season, many of the top DHs were vital to their offenses in a more subtle way. Instead of just home run or bust types of hitters, our list includes several guys who contributed in more varied ways.

While the top two names on our list will come as no surprise, only a time traveler would have been able to tell you how three through 10 would shake out.

Who Fell Off the Top 10 From Our Pre-Season Rankings?

If you look back at our pre-season ranking of the top 10 designated hitters in baseball, you’ll see that only half of those players made our end-of-season list.

Here are the players we thought would rank among the top 10 DHs in the sport in 2025 who failed to meet expectations:

• No. 2: Yordan Alvarez, Houston Astros
• No. 3: Brent Rooker, Athletics
• No. 4: Marcell Ozuna, Atlanta Braves
• No. 7: Kerry Carpenter, Detroit Tigers
• No. 9: Joc Pederson, Texas Rangers

Much of Alvarez’s season was inhibited due to a hand injury that kept the 28-year-old out for nearly four months. The three-time All-Star managed to play in only 48 games this year. This broke a streak of four straight years where the lefty slugger played in at least 114 games.

Across those 48 games, Alvarez slashed .273/.367/.430 with a 118 wRC+. The Cuban product’s absence was a key factor in the Houston Astros failing to make the postseason for the first time since 2016.

After one of the best years of his career in 2024, Ozuna had one of the worst years of his career. As a member of a Braves team that also failed to meet expectations this season, Ozuna slashed .232/.355/.400.

The 34-year-old saw a massive drop in his BABIP from .359 in 2024 to .280 in 2025. Despite a 5.1% jump in his walk rate, Ozuna’s on-base percentage was 23 points lower compared to 2024.

In Carpenter’s case, some things were positive for the lefty slugger. The 28-year-old lowered his strikeout rate by 2.5% while also playing in the most games he ever has in a season.

However, the platoon specialist had a down year against right-handers. In 2024, Carpenter slashed .305/.363/.631 against righties. In 2025, the lefty only managed a .257/.300/.512 slashline.

Finally, Pederson had an abysmal first year as a Texas Ranger. After a great year with the Diamondbacks in 2024, he signed with the Rangers to help bolster an offense in need of some help.

Across 96 games, the veteran lefty slashed .181/.285/.328 with nine home runs and 28 RBIs. It took the 33-year-old until May 10 to hit his first home run. The former outfielder also saw his BABIP drop 119 points in 2025 from .322 in 2024 to .203 in 2025.

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Honorable Mention: Brent Rooker, Athletics

After an All-Star and top-10 MVP finish season in 2024, Rooker made a name for himself as one of the game’s more prominent DHs. However, after the career year he had, some regression was in store for the veteran.

A .262/.335/.479 slashline is by no means unacceptable. Rooker’s production helped the Athletics to their best record since 2021. The righty also hit 30 home runs and recorded 89 RBIs, and he dropped his strikeout rate 6.6 percentage points from 28.8% in 2024 to 22.2% this season.

2025 was a solid year for Rooker; it just was not at the same level as his 2024.

**NOTE: The following positional rankings were created by ordering the average score from each of our four voters. 12 different players received votes, so some will have ranks higher than 10, depending on the voter.**

The Top 10 Designated Hitters in MLB in 2025

10. Seiya Suzuki, Chicago Cubs (Preseason: 8)

2025 Stats: 151 G, .245/.326/.478, 32 HR, 103 RBIs, 123 wRC+, .343 wOBA

After gradually improving year after year with the Cubs, the former Hiroshima Toyo Carp was set to build on a decent 2024 in the 2025 regular season.

However, 2025 was a strange season for Suzuki. While his batting average dropped nearly 40 points compared to 2024, the 31-year-old posted his best power-hitting season since entering MLB, with 32 home runs and 103 RBIs, both of which were MLB-career highs.

Suzuki also only struck out 164 times, compared to his 160 strikeouts in 2024 in 19 fewer games. Despite the improvement, Suzuki still ranked in the 23rd percentile with a 25.2% K-rate.

Regardless of the confusing outputs, the Tokyo native helped power the Cubs to the postseason for the first time since 2020.

9. Christian Yelich, Milwaukee Brewers (Preseason: 6)

2025 Stats: 150 G, .264/.343/.452, 29 HR, 103 RBIs, 121 wRC+, 343 wOBA

In his eighth season with the Brewers, the 33-year-old helped power the Brewers to MLB’s best record, a feat they had not accomplished since 1982. Yelich also rebounded after only playing in 73 games last season, with 150 games this past year.

Yelich’s .452 slugging percentage was the lefty’s second best mark since 2019. The former MVP’s 29 home runs and 103 RBIs led the Brewers.

However, the lefty posted his second worst walk rate and strikeout rate at 9.9% and 25.9%, respectively. Those two marks contributed to Yelich’s career-worst OBP of .343.

8. Giancarlo Stanton, New York Yankees (Preseason: 10)

2025 Stats: 77 G, .273/.350/.594, 24 HR, 66 RBIs, 156 wRC+, .395 wOBA

While the former MVP was only able to play in 77 games, the 35-year-old had a solid year in that limited sample.

Stanton’s .944 OPS and 158 wRC+ were his highest marks since winning the MVP Award in 2017. The righty slugged 24 home runs this season, only three fewer than his 27 in 2024, despite playing in 37 fewer games.

Stanton missed the start of the year with right and left elbow epicondylitis. The injuries limited the veteran slugger to 77 games, his lowest mark in a full season since 2019.

The 35-year-old had arguably his best offensive season as a Yankee. Unfortunately for Yankees fans, he was only available for part of the season.

7. Jorge Polanco, Seattle Mariners (Preseason: Unranked)

2025 Stats: 138 G, .265/.326/.495, 26 Hr, 78 RBIs, 123 wRC+, .350 wOBA

When thinking about the prototypical DH, not often are you going to picture a six-foot former middle infielder. Polanco broke the mold of a typical DH, helping slug the Mariners to the postseason for the fourth time in 20 years.

The switch-hitter’s 132 wRC+ was the highest of his career, while his 26 home runs, .350 wOBA and .495 slugging percentage were all the second highest marks of his career.

In his second year with the Mariners, Polanco made a drastic improvement in his strikeout rate. In 2024, the switch-hitter struck out 29.2% of the time. In 2025, that number dropped all the way to 15.6%, a 13.6 point difference.

6. Yandy Diáz, Tampa Bay Rays (Preseason: No. 9 First Baseman)

2025 Stats: 150 G, .300/.366/.482, 25 HR, 83 RBIs, 135 wRC+, .364 wOBA

You may have noticed that Diáz was not a part of the preseason DH rankings. To make way for the Rays’ soon-to-be All-Star Jonathan Aranda, Diáz moved off of first base and took over the DH role for much of the year.

The 34-year-old’s .848 OPS and 29 doubles ranked first on the team. His 83 RBIs and .482 slugging percentage were both the second highest marks of his career.

The righty also took advantage of playing at the extremely hitter-friendly George M. Steinbrenner Field. He hit .307 with a .378 OPB in Tampa. His .911 OPS at home was far more impressive than his .780 OPS on the road.

2025 was Diaz’s fifth straight season of playing in at least 130 games. The Cuban product was a rock for the Rays lineup all year.

5. Iván Herrera, St. Louis Cardinals (Preseason: Honorable Mention at Catcher)

2025 Stats: 107 G, .284/.373/.464, 19 HR, 66 RBI’s, 137 wRC+, .365 wOBA

Herrera marks back-to-back guys on this list who are DH newcomers; he started the year on our Top 10 Catchers list. After a solid 2024 campaign filling in for the injured Willson Contreras, the 25-year-old took the next step in 2025.

Despite only playing in 107 games, Herrera ranked in the top three in several offensive stats for the Cardinals. The Panamanian’s .837 OPS and .464 slugging percentage led the team, and his 137 wRC+ was a career high.

Despite making his debut in 2022, Herrera only has 203 career games under his belt. If the young righty can continue along the upward trajectory he has been on so far in his career, the Cardinals will have a solid bat for the future.

4. Rafael Devers, San Francisco Giants (Preseason: No. 2 Third Baseman)

2025 Stats: 163 G, .252/.372/.479, 35 HR, 109 RBIs, 135 wRC+, .365 wOBA

While Devers had a leg up on the competition when it came to his counting stats – he became the first player since 2008 to play 163 games in a season – there’s no question the 28-year-old continued to mash the ball.

After the shocking trade that sent him to the Bay Area, Devers became the DH for the Giants. For his standards, 2025 was yet another productive year, as he posted an .851 OPS, a 135 wRC+ and 35 home runs.

However, the most surprising number was Devers’ 112 walks, 45 more than his previous career high. His 4.3% jump in walk rate from 2024 to 2025 was the largest of his career.

With Devers set to be in the Bay Area for many more years to come, it will be quite interesting to see how he leads this team under the new management of Tony Vitello.

3. George Springer, Toronto Blue Jays (Preseason: Unranked)

2025 Stats: 140 G, .309/.399/.560, 32 HR, 84 RBIs. 166 wRC+, .408 wOBA

Springer seemed to be on the decline in 2023 and ’24. However, in his age-35 season, the 2017 World Series MVP had a career year.

Like the Blue Jays, things were much improved in 2025 for the former Astro. All three of his triple slash stats (.309/.399/.560) were the best he posted in any of his years in Toronto.

The righty also posted a career best 166 wRC+ and .408 wOBA, which were easily the highest amongst Blue Jays hitters.

On top of that, Springer recorded a 5.2 fWAR in 2025, the second highest of his career behind his 6.1 fWAR in 2019. The four-time All-Star helped lead the Blue Jays to the best record in the AL and their first AL East title in 10 years.

2. Kyle Schwarber, Philadelphia Phillies (Preseason: 5)

2025 Stats: 162 G, .240/.365/.563, 56 HR, 132 RBIs, 152 wRC+, .391 wOBA

In another world where Shohei Ohtani stayed in the AL, we might have been awarding Schwarber with the NL MVP for his performance this season.

In a contract year, the 32-year-old laid waste to MLB pitching. The former Indiana Hoosier led the NL with 56 home runs, which was also a career high. The lefty’s 152 wRC+ and 132 RBIs were both career highs as well.

Schwarber was awarded the All-Star Game MVP Award after his spectacular performance in the inaugural tiebreaker home run derby, in which he lifted the NL to its second win in the past 10 seasons.

The 32-year-old will be highly sought after this off-season and is due to receive a substantial new paycheck thanks to a career year.

1. Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Dodgers (Preseason: 1)

2025 Stats: 158 G, .282/.392/.622, 55 HR, 102 RBIs, 172 wRC+, .418 wOBA

It would take a tremendous season to put the kind of year that Kyle Schwarber had at number two on this list.

Yet here we are.

While Ohtani might not have matched 50 steals like he did last year, his return to the mound takes things to another level. On top of a .282/.392/.622 slashline with 55 homers and a 172 wRC+, the two-way star made his return to the mound for the first time since 2023.

Ohtani improved on his walk rate as a hitter, raising it by 3.9 percentage points from 11.1% to 15% from 2024 to ’25. The 31-year-old also led the league with 146 runs scored.

Meanwhile, on the mound, the three-time MVP struck out 62 hitters in just 47 innings with a 1.90 FIP and 1.04 WHIP. The Oshu, Japan product is in line to win his fourth MVP in five years, becoming the second person ever to win the award at least four times.