Move puts Japan in line with MLB, World Baseball Classic rules
Hanshin Tigers pitcher Masashi Ito throws a pitch during a Central League game against the Hiroshima Carp. (Photo by Kosaku Mimura)Â
TOKYO (Kyodo) — Nippon Professional Baseball’s Central League decided Monday to adopt the designated hitter rule beginning in the 2027 season.
The Central League’s six clubs made the decision at a board meeting in Tokyo. The Pacific League has used the DH since 1975, two years after the rule was adopted by the American League of Major League Baseball.
“It’s important to take a flexible approach to global trends,” said NPB’s commissioner Sadayuki Sakakibara, a former chairman of the Japan Business Federation, known as Keidanren. “I believe the CL’s decision to try a new style of baseball is a major step toward NPB’s future.”
The DH is the player in the lineup who bats in place of the pitcher but does not play a defensive position. The DH is in use in countries such as the United States and South Korea as well as the World Baseball Classic and other international events.
The CL is among a limited number of leagues that have not adopted the DH rule. In Japan, the governing bodies of college and high school baseball have decided to introduce the DH next year.