What is a Double Switch? Definition and Examples
A double switch is a substitution in which a team replaces two players at once — usually a pitcher and a position player — while also swapping their spots in the batting order to delay the new pitcher's turn at bat.
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What is a Double Switch?
A double switch is a two-part substitution, most common in National League-style games without the designated hitter, where a manager brings in a new pitcher and a new position player simultaneously and flips their batting-order slots. The purpose: the incoming position player takes the old pitcher's spot in the lineup (which is due up soon), and the new pitcher takes the position player's spot (which just batted, so he won't need to hit for several innings). It buys the reliever a longer leash before his turn at bat forces a pinch hitter.
How It Works
Say the pitcher's spot is due up second in the next inning, and the manager wants a new arm. He removes the pitcher and, say, the shortstop who made the last out. The new shortstop enters in the pitcher's #9 lineup slot; the new pitcher enters in the shortstop's #6 slot. The umpire must be informed of the swap — the manager specifies which player takes which lineup position, and getting it wrong can cause a batting-out-of-order mess. The key rule: a player entering the game takes a specific spot in the order, and the double switch is simply assigning the two newcomers to the two vacated spots in the advantageous arrangement.
Worked Example
Classic scenario: Cubs lead 3-2 in the seventh. The starter's spot is due up third next inning, and the manager wants reliever Brad Boxberger for two innings. Left fielder Ian Happ made the final out of the sixth. Double switch: Boxberger enters in Happ's #5 slot, and new left fielder enters in the pitcher's #9 slot. Result: the #9 hitter (the new left fielder, a real bat) leads off the next inning instead of the pitcher, and Boxberger can pitch the seventh and eighth without his spot coming up. The Dodgers under Dave Roberts ran this constantly in late-game leverage spots.
Why It Matters
With the universal DH adopted in 2022, the double switch is nearly extinct in MLB — pitchers no longer bat, so there's no slot to hide. It survives in analysis of pre-2022 games, in NL history, and in leagues without a DH. Historically, it was a core tactical skill: managers like Tony La Russa were masters at timing double switches to extend elite relievers across multiple innings in high-leverage spots. It also mattered for roster construction — versatile bench bats who could enter via double switch had outsized value.
Limitations and Common Misconceptions
The double switch is not simply "two substitutions" — the batting-order swap is the entire point; replacing two players without switching slots is just two changes. It also can't create plate appearances: the new pitcher still bats if his new slot comes up. And under current MLB rules with the universal DH, it's effectively obsolete, which is why younger fans rarely see it.
Related Terms
In Legends Deck: Historical-format simulations without the DH still surface double-switch decisions, rewarding deep benches — utility cards that can enter at multiple positions carry extra strategic value in those game modes.