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Fantasy Baseball: Who will benefit most from the universal DH in 2022?

Fred Zinkie
Yahoo Fantasy Contributor
·5 min read
8

Make no mistake — the addition of the DH to NL rosters is going to have a huge impact on fantasy baseball standings this season. In addition to the negative impact this change will have on Senior Circuit starting pitchers, there will be plenty of opportunities for position players to earn additional playing time.

There will undoubtedly be NL teams who sign sluggers in the coming weeks to fill their DH spot, while other clubs will choose to share the role among a collection of players. And on some teams, there will be a trickle-down effect where a prominent player shifts to the DH spot and opens a fielding position for an interesting sleeper.

Rather than going team-by-team on this project, I decided to get straight to the point and explain which players jumped the most in my projections because of the addition of the NL DH. Here they are:

Connor Joe (1B/OF, COL)

Joe was effective in 211 plate appearances last year, hitting .285 with an .848 OPS. With hitter-friendly Coors Field at his disposal, the outfielder needs only a full-time role to enter the mixed-league conversation. Joe has balanced splits, and the addition of the DH should give Colorado plenty of ways to put him in their regular lineup.

Adam Duvall (OF, ATL)

Marcell Ozuna should serve as the Braves DH, which means that there will be plenty of outfield opportunities for Duvall, who surprised everyone by driving in 113 runs last season. Duvall will be a batting average drain but should also provide 30 homers and 85-90 RBIs as part of a quality Braves lineup.

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Dominic Smith (1B/OF, NYM)

The book is still out on whether or not Smith is a good hitter. The slugger was good in a short sample in 2019 (.881 OPS), great in the shortened 2020 season (.993 OPS) and awful last year (.667 OPS). The DH addition should give this abysmal fielder a chance to show his best plate skills without being burdened by regularly making defensive blunders. At the very least, Smith is worth a late-round pick by those who want a possible power hitter.

Garrett Cooper (1B/OF, MIA)

Likely ticketed for a reserve role when the lockout started, Cooper now has the inside track on being the Marlins regular DH. Although not in possession of premium power skills, the 31-year-old has 20-homer potential and a career .282 average that is quite appealing in the current fantasy baseball landscape.

Tyrone Taylor (OF, MIL)

The Brewers could use the DH to solve an outfield logjam by having Taylor, Christian Yelich and Hunter Renfroe rotate through the spot. With 14 homers and six steals in 291 career at-bats, Taylor profiles as someone who could provide 20 long balls and 10 swipes across a full season of work.

Yoshi Tsutsugo (1B/OF, PIT)

Tsutsugo found his Major League form after arriving in Pittsburgh during the 2021 season, producing eight homers and an .883 OPS across 144 plate appearances. The slugger will now attempt to replicate that short-term success across a full season, with the addition of the DH opening up as many playing time opportunities as he can handle.

Yoshi Tsutsugo, of the Pittsburgh Pirates, should benefit from the NL DH
The NL DH should be good news for Yoshi Tsutsugo. (AP Photo/Philip G. Pavely)

Wilmer Flores (1B/2B/3B, SF)

The Giants love platoons and roster many hitters who have massive batting splits that limit their ability to play every day. Flores is an exception to that pattern, as his balanced splits and versatile, yet mediocre, fielding skills make him a perfect fit to get 500 at-bats as a part-time DH and part-time utilityman. In that role, Flores could approach 25 homers.

[Fantasy Baseball Draft Rankings: C | 1B | 2B | 3B | SS | OF | SP | RP]

Clint Frazier (OF, CHC)

Frazier is getting a fresh start after several frustrating years in the Bronx. Formerly a notable prospect, the outfielder could never break through as a full-time Yankee and experienced a major performance drop-off last season while dealing with a case of vertigo. The NL DH opens up plenty of playing time with the Cubs, where Frazier could produce a helpful batting average and respectable power numbers.

Mike Moustakas (2B, CIN)

The 2021 season was mostly a disaster for Moustakas, who was limited by heel and foot injuries while posting a career-worst .653 OPS across 63 games. The addition of the DH spot should allow the Reds to play both Moustakas and Eugenio Suarez regularly, as both veterans look to raise their batting averages and put their careers back on track. With a hitter-friendly home park by his side, Moose could rip 30 round-trippers.

Editor's note: Eugenio Suarez was traded to the Seattle Mariners.

Yadiel Hernandez (OF, WSH)

Hernandez is far too old (34) to expect a breakout season, but the native Cuban has had plenty of success in the Minors (career. 889 OPS) since coming to America in 2017 and showed respectable plate skills (.742 OPS) in 289 plate appearances with the Nats last year. Washington seems to be retooling their roster this year and may choose to give opportunities to the likes of Hernandez rather than loading up on free-agent sluggers. In a full-time role, he could provide 20 homers and a handful of steals.