Cubs' Carson Kelly Reveals Why He Liked MLB Rule Change to Universal DH

Chicago Cubs catcher Carson Kelly has spent time in both the American League and National League throughout his career.

While the rules are universal between the senior and junior circuit now, that wasn’t the case prior to 2022, when the MLB implemented a rule that made the designated hitter a part of every game, not just contests being held by AL teams at home.

Kelly, who began his career with the St. Louis Cardinals before being traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks as part of the Paul Goldschmidt blockbuster trade ahead of the 2019 campaign, spent the first six seasons navigating lineups that still included pitchers for a majority of the time.

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There were some major differences in how he would call a game, as NL lineups with a pitcher included some more strategy given how many changes could be made when it came to pinch hitters and double-switches.

“There’s a little bit more thinking when there’s a pitcher in the lineup,” Kelly said, via Theo DeRosa of MLB.com. “‘Do we attack this 8 hitter or 7 hitter? Are they going to pinch-hit for the 9 hitter?’ A little bit different there, but now that it’s universal, you kind of get in the rhythm and the flow of it of when to call games and how to call games.”

Having rules consistent with every game being played certainly makes this easier for catchers like Kelly in their preparations.

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There aren’t as many moving parts during a game to deal with now that designated hitters are being used in every lineup. It enables him to focus on a game plan without having to combat as many variables.

On top of that, there is one reason why Kelly is especially happy that pitchers aren’t hitting any longer: his physical well-being.

Fewer pitchers swinging the bat means fewer balls being fouled off and hitting Kelly, avoiding more opportunities to get injured at a demanding position.

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“A lot of the pitchers -- I love the pitchers, but sometimes they don’t know how to really square up a baseball, so I would get a lot of foul balls off the face and stuff,” he said.

Staying healthy is certainly important, which is something Kelly has struggled with at points during his career.

That has not been the case in 2025, as he is putting together a career campaign with the Cubs after signing a two-year, $11.5 million deal with the club as a free agent this past winter.

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