2026 NL East Positional Rankings: DH
The DH position is fluid for most NL East teams, as it is for many teams around the league. Players will likely be rotating in and out of that spot throughout the season, but one thing is certain: Kyle Schwarber (spoiler alert) remains the clear-cut top DH in the division, and perhaps the second-best DH in baseball behind only Shohei Ohtani. Now that the suspense is gone, here are our NL East DH rankings.
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NO 5: GRIFFIN CONINE, MIA
The Marlins once again enter spring training with a plethora of DH options, but Griffin Conine, son of former Marlin (and Met) Jeff, is currently projected to be their Opening Day starter there. Conine, 28, only has 175 plate appearances in 54 games across two major league seasons, hitting .261/.320/.435 with five homers and 20 RBI, and a 107 OPS+, in that limited sample size.
The lefty batter’s 2025 season got off to a strong start but was interrupted after just 20 games due to shoulder surgery. Miami could also turn to Agustín Ramírez at DH, especially if prospect Joe Mack makes the team as a catcher. Ramirez split his time between catcher and DH during his 2025 rookie season, riding a hot first half to finish with 21 homers, 16 steals and a 92 OPS+.
NO 4: DAYLEN LILE, WAS
If James Wood ends up making more starts at DH this season, after starting 33 games there last year, the Nats will undoubtedly rise up this positional ranking. But Washington appears to be committed to playing the 2025 All-Star in the outfield this season, making Daylen Lile, a rising star in his own right, the projected DH. Lile is coming off an excellent rookie season that earned him the fifth most votes for NL Rookie of the Year. The 23-year-old lefty hit .299/.347/.498 with nine home runs, 48 RBI and eight steals. He had a 137 OPS+ and finished the season on fire with a .391 average, 6 homers and 19 RBI in 25 September games, good enough for both NL Player and Rookie of the Month honors.
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NO 3: BRETT BATY/MARK VIENTOS, NYM
With new additions, Bo Bichette coming in as the Mets third baseman and Jorge Polanco seemingly penciled in at first base, Brett Baty and Mark Vientos are currently slated to see most of the action at DH in 2026. However, it’s worth noting that both players are taking reps at new positions (Baty at first and outfield, Vientos at first).
The two 26-year-olds are trending in opposite directions after 2025. Baty had his breakout season, hitting .254/.313/.435 with 18 homers, 50 RBI and a 111 OPS+ over 130 games, all career highs by a mile. Vientos, on the other hand, regressed significantly last year after a standout 2024, hitting just .233 with 17 homers, and his OPS+ dropped to 97 from 134 the previous year. But if Vientos can regain his 2024 form, Baty can continue to progress at the plate, and Polanco can use DH for a fallback option or breather, the Mets could turn the position into a real asset this season.
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NO. 2: JURICKSON PROFAR, ATL
Jurickson Profar ranked fifth in our NL East left field rankings, but it now appears he will mostly DH for the Braves after undergoing offseason hernia surgery and the signing of outfielder Mike Yastrzemski. The 33-year-old switch-hitting Profar was suspended for 80 games soon after the 2025 season began for using a banned substance, just one of many things to go wrong for Atlanta last year. He was solid if unspectacular upon returning in July, finishing the season at .245/.353/.434 with 14 homers, 43 RBI, nine steals and a 121 OPS+. The run production, extrapolated to a full season, was in line with Profar’s 2024 season, when he had 24 homers and 85 RBI, but his slash rate stats dropped off significantly.
NO. 1: KYLE SCHWARBER, PHI
The Mets reportedly went after Kyle Schwarber in the offseason before the 33-year-old re-upped with the Phillies for five years and $150 million, the largest contract ever for a full-time DH. He was the runner-up 2025 NL MVP and is the obvious choice for best DH in the division. Schwarber had a monster 2025, blasting 56 home runs and 132 RBI along with a .240/.364/.563 slash line and 150 OPS+, good for a 4.9 fWAR without playing the field. He ranked in the 98th or higher percentile in several batting categories. The one glaring hole in Schwarber’s game is his propensity to strike out—he did so 197 times last year, third most in baseball, and has been at or over 200 strikeouts in each of the last four seasons.
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