After a long, brutal summer coming to a close and October on the horizon, baseball’s stretch run is finally upon us.

A glut of new, young superstars has permeated Major League Baseball, and it looks like the league is on the verge of an exciting new age. But there’s just one problem.

There’s still no designated hitter in the National League.

Before the so-called ‘baseball purists’ start pulling their hair out, let’s examine just how archaic the National League has become.

The NL was founded in 1876, and as far baseball is concerned, not much has changed since. We’re watching Ulysses S. Grant’s version of America’s pastime, which is exactly what it is now: a past time.

Pitchers batted in the 1800s out of circumstance because more likely than not, you’d only have nine players on your team and had no choice. In 2015, we have 30 teams with 25 players apiece, so how is there not a better option on your roster?

You might point to Giants pitcher Madison Bumgarner (5 HRs in 2015) as an example of why the DH is an unnecessary addition to the National League. And you may have a point there.

But Bumgarner isn’t the rule; he’s the exception. More often than not, it’s a virtually guaranteed, automatic out. Or if you play for the Cardinals, in which case you might also rupture your Achilles running down the basepath and miss the entire season.

Every Cardinals fan reading this is either rolling their eyes or aghast with horror, but it’s absolutely true. Even on the most fundamental level of thinking, the DH will produce more runs than a pitcher at the plate and give your team a greater chance to score.

So why on Earth would you so carelessly and willingly toss out an advantage like that? And all in the name of the ‘sanctity of the game’?

It just doesn’t make any sense.

Oddly enough, my unique fan experience has afforded me the opportunity to examine both sides of this argument. Having grown up as an Astros fan in South Texas, I watched the ‘Killer B’s’ battle it out with the Cards in the NL for years.

Then I had a front row seat for a decade-long collapse before my hometown team relocated to the American League West. And not too long after, I saw the ‘Lastros’ become the ‘Blastros.’

Not only are they scoring more runs and hitting more home runs, but also the Astros are a much more fun, revived team thanks in no small part to the addition DH.

The American League adopted the DH in 1973, creating a new and exciting brand of baseball. The DH ushered the MLB into the modern era, and we’ve never looked back since.

Meanwhile, the NL still insists on trotting out their pitchers like Neanderthals dragging clubs to the plate. And until it adopts the DH itself, the National League will continue to hold baseball back from entering its next golden age.