Baseball players who bat are those who take turns hitting the ball pitched by the opposing team's pitcher. In Major League Baseball (MLB), players who bat include position players and designated hitters (DH). The designated hitter is a player who bats in place of another position player, most commonly the pitcher, to improve offensive performance
. Some notable facts about MLB players who bat:
- Pete Rose holds the record for the most career at-bats with 14,053, the only player to exceed 13,000 at-bats in MLB history
- In the 2025 MLB season, several players have adopted new bat designs called "torpedo bats," which shift more wood toward the handle to enhance contact where players most frequently hit the ball. This innovation has been embraced by players like Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe, Jazz Chisholm Jr., and others across multiple teams
- Batting styles vary, with some players batting right-handed, left-handed, or switch-hitting (batting both sides). A rare combination is batting right-handed and throwing left-handed, seen in about 55 active MLB players, mostly pitchers
For current player batting statistics such as batting average, home runs, and OPS, official MLB and ESPN sources provide up-to-date leaderboards and detailed stats for the 2025 season
. In summary, baseball players who bat include all position players and designated hitters who take turns trying to hit the ball, with ongoing innovations in bat technology and diverse batting styles shaping the game.
