When the National League finally adopted the designated hitter in 2022, it immediately changed the daily strategy for managers in a significant and stark way. An entire brand of baseball disappeared and lineups were bolstered by the additional option of having a full-time hitter take swings once required by pitchers. And option is technically the right word because the rule left open the possibility that a game's starting pitcher would somehow be the best offensive option in that spot in the batting order.
That person, Shohei Ohtani, was plying his talents in the American League at that time and Major League Baseball, in a smart decision, implemented a rule now named after him. The Ohtani Rule allows a pitcher to serve as his own designated hitter and remain in the lineup even after they are removed from the mound.
