MLBTR continues to take a position-by-position look at the upcoming free agent class. Before we move on to pitching, we’ll summarize the offensive group by looking at the designated hitter. Of course, technically every position player can play DH, but the vast majority of the class has been covered in our previous position previews. We’ll limit this appearance to primary designated hitters or players who have made at least 200 plate appearances at that position this year. Player ages listed in parentheses are for the 2026 season.
Previous entry in this series: Catcher, first base, second base, third base, shortstop, Center field, corner outfield
Top of class
Kyle Schwarber (33)
Apart from Shohei OhtaniSchwarber was the top free agent designated hitter in years. He will become the first pure DH to sign a nine-figure contract after hitting an NL-best 56 home runs and leading MLB with 132 runs. Schwarber appeared in all 162 games, batting .240/.365/.563 in 724 plate appearances.
Schwarber hit 38+ homers in all four seasons of his free-agent contract with Philadelphia. He’s going to strike out a lot, but he’s one of the five best power hitters in the game. He’s also well-liked within the Philadelphia clubhouse, and president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski has made no secret of their desire to keep him. Schwarber will reject a qualifying offer and should be able to sign a four-year contract paying over $25MM annually. There is a non-zero possibility that the team will extend the five-year period to push the overall margin above 130MM.
General DH options
Josh Bell (33)
The ever-inconsistent Bell has alternated between poor and excellent performances throughout the season. His OPS in April, June and August was 0.730 or below, while his OPS in May, July and September was 0.860 or above. The end result was a .239/.326/.421 batting line with 22 homers in 533 games. Despite Bell’s inconsistency during the season, he has reliably been a slightly above-average hitter each of the last three years. He should sign another one-year contract.
Starling Matt (37)
After several seasons of declining production, Marte has rebounded in a part-time role with the Mets. He hit .270/.335/.410 in 329 games. Marte only hit seven home runs and wasn’t the power hitter that teams wanted as an everyday DH, but he could get 250-300 at-bats while moonlighting as a corner outfielder.
Andrew McCutchen (39)
Over the past few seasons, Cutch signed a series of one-year, $5 million contracts with the Buccaneers. This year’s .239/.333/.367 line and 13 homers were his worst in his second three-year stint in Pittsburgh. McCutchen still has strong strike zone awareness, but at this point in his career, he’s no longer a threat to hit 25-30 home runs. It seems likely he’ll get another cheap one-year deal with the Buccaneers.
Marcel Ozuna (35)
A true everyday designated hitter, Ozuna is a cheap replacement for Schwarber. He’s just one season away from becoming one of the best offensive players in the game. In 2023-24, Ozuna hit a total of 79 home runs and hit .289/.364/.552. The 34-year-old has had a mediocre year, hitting 21 home runs in 592 at-bats while his batting average dropped to .232/.355/.400. That’s still an above-average offensive output, but it’s not great output for a player who hasn’t played a defensive game in two years.
Seasonal trend lines are not encouraging. By the end of May, Ozuna was hitting .280/.426/.457 with almost as many walks as strikeouts. For a while, he looked like one of the best rental hitters available at the trade deadline. He then struggled for three months, hitting .185/.300/.362 in 278 games. That cost the Warriors the chance to get more than marginal salary relief, so they kept him. Ozuna rebounded in September, hitting .261, but he struck out 32 percent of the time and hit just one home run in the final month of the season. His deal is for one year, which could be half of the $16MM he earned last season.
Jorge Polanco (32)
Technically, Polanco’s contract includes a $6 player option, but he will decline that provision and become a free agent. The Mariners surprisingly re-signed him after a disappointing 2024 season. Seattle attributed the sluggish year to a knee injury he suffered during a game that required meniscus surgery in the postseason. The infielder’s resurgence has proven them right. Polanco posted a .265/.326/.495 line with 26 home runs and 30 doubles.
While Polanco can still hit, he will face a defensive load in 162 games. Seattle originally planned to play him at third base because they thought not having to go through the second base bag would be easier on his knees. That lasted five games before soreness and an oblique injury resurfaced, causing the M’s to temporarily use him as a full-time designated hitter. He started mixing things up at second base in June and played there regularly during the final three weeks of the season. He’s a likely candidate to receive a qualifying offer, but will likely become a free agent without draft compensation. He should get at least a two-year deal, with a chance at a three-year deal.
bench bat
Wilmer Flores (34)
Flores is off to a strong start to the season, hitting seven home runs in April and has a penchant for clutch hits. Since the beginning of May, his batting line has been just .245/.315/.365. Flores has spent his career as a versatile defender who specializes in left-handed pitching, but currently he’s essentially limited to DH and first base. He hit just .228/.278/.371 against lefties over the past two seasons and may need to accept a minor league deal.
Mickey Garver (35)
Garver is nearly 400 innings behind the plate, Carl Rowley Backup. The Mariners signed him with the expectation that he would be their primary designated hitter, but he hit .187/.290/.341 in 201 games over two seasons in the Pacific Northwest.
Justin Turner (41)
Last offseason, Turner received $6MM from the Cubs to serve as a veteran right-bat backup. He hit .219/.288/.314 in 80 games during his age-40 season and may consider signing with the minor leagues if he continues to play.
Jesse Wink (32)
Wink re-signed with the Mets last offseason, receiving $7.5MM guaranteed. He was limited to 26 games due to an oblique and back injury, and he could receive a minor league call-up this winter.
Player options
Jock Pederson (34)
Pederson will exercise a player option worth $16.5MM in Texas after hitting .181/.285/.328 in 306 games. The Rangers need huge rebounding from a player who hit .275/.393/.515 with the Diamondbacks in 2024.
