Pitchers cannot hit. Why insist that they try?

If pitchers could hit, then they would. They would play every day like baseball players, which they are not.

There should be a designated fielder. Eight men bat. The players union will agree to anything if you increase the number of people on the roster.

Here's a link for 97 pitchers (85% of games as a pitcher) with at least 1,000 PA batting:

https://www.baseball-reference.com/tiny/WTc1X

Top ten in PA:

Rk	Player	PA	OPS+	From	To	Age	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	IBB	SO	HBP	SH	SF	GDP	SB	CS	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	Pos	Tm
1	Walter Johnson	2529	76	1907	1927	19-39	934	2324	241	547	94	41	24	255	110		419	13	70			13	4	.235	.274	.342	.616	*1H/8974	WSH
2	Warren Spahn	2056	43	1942	1965	21-44	783	1872	141	363	57	6	35	189	94	0	487	7	68	14	23	4	2	.194	.234	.287	.520	*1/H	BSN-MLN-SFG-NYM
3	Pete Alexander	1979	43	1911	1930	24-43	703	1810	154	378	60	13	11	163	77		276	2	88			3	5	.209	.242	.275	.517	*1/H7	PHI-CHC-STL
4	Early Wynn	1904	54	1939	1963	19-43	796	1704	136	365	59	5	17	173	141	1	330	2	52	4	33	1	0	.214	.274	.285	.559	*1H	WSH-CLE-CHW
5	Steve Carlton	1881	33	1965	1988	20-43	699	1719	123	346	49	6	13	140	41	0	413	10	94	13	33	2	2	.201	.223	.259	.482	*1/H	STL-PHI-SFG-CHW-CLE-MIN
6	Greg Maddux	1812	5	1986	2008	20-42	737	1591	103	272	35	2	5	84	34	0	419	5	180	2	15	11	3	.171	.191	.205	.395	*1/H	CHC-ATL-LAD-SDP
7	Robin Roberts	1784	27	1948	1966	21-39	688	1525	107	255	55	10	5	103	135	0	372	8	108	6	37	3	1	.167	.238	.226	.464	*1/H	PHI-BAL-HOU-CHC
8	Phil Niekro	1707	8	1964	1987	25-48	742	1537	80	260	42	1	7	109	17	0	314	12	129	12	35	0	1	.169	.183	.211	.395	*1/H	MLN-ATL-NYY-CLE-TOR
9	Burleigh Grimes	1686	58	1916	1934	22-40	632	1535	157	380	62	11	2	168	69		241	5	76		1	15	4	.248	.282	.306	.588	*1/H	BRO-NYG-PIT-BSN-STL-CHC-NYY
10	Eppa Rixey	1666	22	1912	1933	21-42	694	1522	95	291	33	4	3	111	49		220	9	87		2	2	2	.191	.221	.224	.445	*1/H	PHI-CIN

OPS+ 100 is league average as a batter.  Those OPS+ numbers are terrible. Two of the ten are in single digits. But wait, it gets worse.

Sorted by OPS+:

Rk	Player	PA	OPS+ ▼	From	To	Age	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	IBB	SO	HBP	SH	SF	GDP	SB	CS	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	Pos	Tm
1	Carl Mays	1195	82	1915	1929	23-37	502	1085	113	291	32	21	5	111	66		116	4	44			1	1	.268	.313	.350	.663	*1/H	BOS-NYY-CIN-NYG
2	Walter Johnson	2529	76	1907	1927	19-39	934	2324	241	547	94	41	24	255	110		419	13	70			13	4	.235	.274	.342	.616	*1H/8974	WSH
3	Chief Bender	1276	66	1903	1925	19-41	507	1147	102	243	40	10	6	116	75		160	10	42			20	2	.212	.266	.280	.546	*1/H38475	PHA-BAL-PHI-CHW
4	Christy Mathewson	1605	63	1903	1916	22-35	556	1416	130	306	45	11	5	147	107		175	15	63			17	1	.216	.278	.274	.552	*1	NYG-CIN
5	Wilbur Cooper	1316	61	1912	1926	20-34	521	1227	111	293	34	17	6	106	47		140	4	38			12	9	.239	.269	.309	.578	*1/H79	PIT-CHC-DET
6	Burleigh Grimes	1686	58	1916	1934	22-40	632	1535	157	380	62	11	2	168	69		241	5	76		1	15	4	.248	.282	.306	.588	*1/H	BRO-NYG-PIT-BSN-STL-CHC-NYY
7	Art Nehf	1047	57	1915	1929	22-36	464	915	90	192	29	5	8	76	86		122	5	41			7	3	.210	.281	.279	.560	*1/H987	BSN-NYG-CIN-CHC
8	Dizzy Trout	1047	56	1939	1957	24-42	535	961	99	205	28	7	20	110	59	0	226	1	26	0	18	7	2	.213	.260	.319	.579	*1/H	BOS-DET-BAL
9	Urban Shocker	1049	55	1916	1928	25-37	412	798	89	167	23	3	1	70	139		211	11	98			1	3	.209	.334	.249	.584	*1	SLB-NYY
10	Early Wynn	1904	54	1939	1963	19-43	796	1704	136	365	59	5	17	173	141	1	330	2	52	4	33	1	0	.214	.274	.285	.559	*1H	WSH-CLE-CHW

The most recent season for any of them: 1963. Three of the top ten in PA are among the top ten in OPS+: Johnson, Grimes, Wynn. Among the top ten in OPS+, three barely have the 1,000 PA to qualify, which suggests that if they batted more, their OPS+ would be lower.

Bottom ten in OPS+, also the only pitchers in this group with negative OPS+, whatever that is:

88	Don Sutton	1559	-2	1966	1988	21-43	611	1354	64	195	15	1	0	64	60	0	365	6	136	3	29	1	0	.144	.183	.157	.340	*1/H	LAD-HOU-MIL-OAK-CAL
89	Steve Rogers	1045	-2	1973	1985	23-35	406	881	47	122	8	2	0	39	61	0	268	1	101	1	10	1	2	.138	.195	.152	.347	*1/H	MON
90	Mickey Lolich	1017	-2	1963	1979	22-38	477	821	63	90	5	2	0	31	105	0	362	5	85	1	20	1	1	.110	.215	.121	.335	*1/H	DET-NYM-SDP
91	Milt Pappas	1176	-3	1957	1973	18-34	527	1073	72	132	13	3	20	67	36	0	510	8	52	5	13	1	0	.123	.157	.197	.354	*1/H4	BAL-CIN-ATL-CHC
92	Danny MacFayden	1004	-3	1926	1943	21-38	470	910	66	129	22	4	1	47	41	0	309	1	55		7	1	1	.142	.180	.178	.358	*1/H7	BOS-NYY-CIN-BSN-PIT-WSH
93	Lefty Gomez	1023	-7	1930	1943	21-34	368	904	59	133	11	0	0	58	50	0	252	2	68		5	1	1	.147	.194	.159	.353	*1	NYY-WSH
94	Bill Doak	1007	-9	1912	1929	21-38	453	905	40	115	15	5	1	30	30		332	2	71			0	0	.127	.157	.158	.315	*1	CIN-STL-BRO
95	Gaylord Perry	1220	-10	1962	1983	23-44	512	1076	48	141	17	0	6	47	22	0	369	6	113	3	20	0	0	.131	.153	.164	.316	*1/H	SFG-CLE-TEX-SDP-NYY-ATL-SEA-KCR
96	Jerry Koosman	1052	-17	1967	1985	24-42	431	915	36	109	12	1	2	46	33	0	418	2	100	2	19	1	0	.119	.151	.141	.292	*1	NYM-MIN-CHW-PHI
97	Bob Friend	1299	-19	1951	1966	20-35	602	1137	56	138	16	2	2	60	38	0	375	0	120	2	14	0	0	.121	.150	.144	.294	*1	PIT-NYM-NYY

NEGATIVE OPS+. See the minus sign before their number? People are on MLB Network now arguing that pitchers should bat and that there is value in the decision making associated with whether and when to pinch hit for them.

Say it ain't so!