![Pitcher Brandon Woodruff hitting. [image source: MLB- YouTube]](https://staticr1.blastingcdn.com/media/photogallery/2020/6/24/660x290/b_502x220x82/pitcher-brandon-woodruff-hitting-image-source-mlb-youtube_2481810.jpg "Pitcher Brandon Woodruff hitting. [image source: MLB- YouTube]")
For the 2020 season and seemingly going forward, Major League Baseball has abolished the rule that pitchers have to hit in the National League [VIDEO] and will opt to use a universal designated hitter. While most pitchers are not good hitters at the major league level which is evidenced by a combined slash line of .128/.160/.162 by all pitchers in 2019, there are a few pitchers that can actually rake. Here are pitchers that weren't necessarily automatic outs and that we're going to miss watching at the plate.
Madison Bumgarner
When it comes to pitchers hitting, Madbum is the pitcher that comes to mind. He is probably the best hitter that's a pitcher as he has decent offensive numbers, has been used as a pinch hitter and has even hit when playing in AL parks. Bumgarner is a career .177/.228/.303 hitter with 19 HR and 62 RBIs. On Opening Day 2017, Bumgarner hit two home runs to help propel his team to victory. He has two Silver Slugger awards that came back-to-back in '14 and '15.
Zack Greinke
While he wasn't going to get as many at-bats this year, he still would have been able to show his offensive prowess when the Astros visited NL teams. At the plate, Greinke has a career slash line of .225/.263/.337 with nine home runs. He also has more career hits (117) than times he struck out (113). Just last season where he spent the first half of the campaign with the Diamondbacks, he slashed .280/.308/.580. He has two Silver Slugger awards to his name which he won in 2013 and 2019.
Marcus Stroman
Stroman's offensive numbers aren't worth mentioning but he does have a home run which he hit back as a member of the Blue Jays when they visited Atlanta in 2017. The same year, he came up clutch for the Blue Jays when he hit a double in extra innings.
Michael Lorenzen
Lorenzen has done well offensively that some saw him as another part of the upcoming two-way player that should slowly gain traction in the major leagues. His career slash line is .235/.279/.432 with seven home runs and 24 RBIs.
Jake Arrieta
Arrieta has a career slash line of .167/.198/.256 with six home runs. He was the NL Silver Slugger recipient for the pitcher position in 2016. [image source: Tariq Ginkinger- YouTube]
Brandon Woodruff
Just by looking at Woodruff's slash line of .254/.288/.365, you would think that this slash line belongs to a poor hitter with no power but that slash line is truly what Woodruff has put up in 63 at-bats over 51 games. He has also hit a home run. [image source: MLB- YouTube]
