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  "path": "/news/2026-03-decade-baseball-hitter-affect-teams.html",
  "publishedAt": "2026-03-19T10:20:01.000Z",
  "site": "https://medicalxpress.com",
  "textContent": "In the original form of baseball, all nine players bat and play defense, including the pitcher. The designated hitter system lets a team add a tenth player to the starting lineup—a specialist batter who replaces the pitcher in the batting order. The designated hitter only bats and does not play defense, while the pitcher still pitches but does not bat.",
  "title": "A decade of baseball data shows the designated hitter system does not affect how teams win"
}