The designated hitter rule was introduced in the American League in 1973. It allowed a batter to hit in place of the pitcher without taking a defensive position.
American League owners approved the rule on January 11, 1973, initially as a three-year experiment. The change was intended to increase offense after several low-scoring seasons and declining batting averages. The National League did not adopt it at the time.
Ron Blomberg of the New York Yankees became MLB’s first designated hitter on April 6, 1973. In his first plate appearance, he drew a bases-loaded walk against Boston’s Luis Tiant. The DH remained an American League feature for decades before becoming universal across MLB in 2022.