Chart of the Week: Best hitting pitchers in the DH era
By FindTheBest
After several star pitchers have been injured while hitting early on this season, baseball fans have been debating whether MLB should extend the designated hitter rule to the National League. But there are many pitchers who have managed to hold their own in the batter's box over their careers.
Back in the 1990s, Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine combined to make the beloved Nike commercial, "Chicks Dig the Long Ball." It seems as though they took their own words to heart. With 272 career hits, Maddux tops the leaderboard for most hits by a pitcher who have debuted since 1973 (when the DH Rule came into effect), and Glavine comes in at second after winning four Silver Sluggers between 1991-98.
The active pitcher who's closest to breaking through to the top 10 is Cardinals pitcher Jason Marquis, who currently sits in 14th with 129 hits, 22 behind Smoltz.
Check out the best hitting pitchers in the DH era (ranked by most career hits):
