It's been a subject of debate amongst baseball fans for years now, and now it's finally happened. For at least the 2020 season, National League teams will be adding a designated hitter. While this is undoubtedly a negative for NL pitchers who will no longer get the benefit of facing the opposing pitcher 2-3 times per game, it's a boon for many NL hitters who will now have a clearer path to regular at-bats. Here's a look at some National League hitters who could see a big boost in value this season as a result of the new DH rule.

Ryan Braun, OF, MIL
Braun had been slated for semi-regular at-bats this season, splitting time between first base and the outfield, but the addition of the DH clears a path for him to stay in the lineup nearly every day. The 36-year-old has been largely overlooked by the fantasy community in recent years, but it's not warranted. In 2019, Braun produced a .285/.343/.505 slash line, clubbing 22 homers and stealing 11 bags. More impressive is that he has now topped 20 dingers and double-digit steals in four of the last five seasons. In fact, he's one of only 15 players to go 20-10 in each of the last two campaigns. Braun's 45% hard-hit rate in 2019 ranked in the 85th percentile, essentially matching the marks set by Cody Bellinger (45.5%) and Bryce Harper (45.6%). In short, don't write off the veteran slugger because of his age.

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Yoenis Cespedes, OF, NYM
At 34 years old, Cespedes is obviously far from a sure thing. He hasn't played in more than 81 games since 2016, and if not for the delayed start to the season, he would have again started the 2020 campaign on the injured list because of heel and ankle injuries. However, the layoff has given Cespedes time to potentially be ready by Opening Day, and he has a much better chance to stay healthy if the Mets use him as their primary DH. One thing has been true of Cespedes throughout his career: When he's healthy, he hits. Cespedes bashed 30+ homers in each of his last two healthy seasons, and the ISOs from his last four campaigns - .251, .251, .247, .234 - show a consistent, big-time power threat. The Mets slugger also owns a career 124 wRC+, finishing at 121 or above from 2014-2018. As a late-round dart throw, there's little risk for a guy who still had a very potent bat the last time we saw him.

Garrett Hampson, 2B/OF, COL
The fantasy community has been waiting and waiting for the Rockies to turn Hampson loose and stick him in the lineup every day. The Rockies basically did that last September, and the results were definitely worth the wait, as he batted .318/.368/.534 over 23 games with five dingers and nine stolen bases. We obviously can't simply prorate those numbers over a full season, but it's hard to not get excited about the potential of a full season's worth of at-bats. The Rockies have plenty of options at DH, but it makes the most sense for them to install Daniel Murphy as their regular designated hitter, slide Ryan McMahon over to first base, and hand the reins to Hampson at second base. Of course, it often seems like the Rockies go out of their way to avoid playing their youngsters, so we can't assume that Hampson will finally get a long look in 2020. That said, with an NFBC ADP of 163 over the last two weeks, you don't need to spend a high pick on Hampson to find out.

Kevin Cron, 1B, ARI
The bulk of the DH at-bats in Arizona could go to Jake Lamb, at least against right-handed pitching, but Cron is the guy who offers much more breakout potential if given the opportunity. The 6-foot-5 Cron absolutely smashed Triple-A pitching in 2019, putting up a .331/.449/.777 triple slash with a whopping 38 bombs in just 82 games. It's worth noting that those massive power numbers came without a big strikeout rate. He whiffed just 20.4% of the time while registering an elite 16.2% walk rate. Cron stumbled in a short big-league stint last season, batting just .212 with a 35.9% K rate in 71 at-bats, but that's too small of a sample to draw any real conclusions. Yes, at 27 years old, it's possible that Cron will never make the leap, but the Diamondbacks owe it to themselves to give him a legitimate look in 2020. Christian Walker being diagnosed with a right groin strain earlier this week gives Cron another potential path into the everyday lineup.

Jay Bruce, OF, PHI
If you're searching for cheap power late in your draft, Bruce is likely to be available. The 33-year-old slugger has plenty of flaws. He hasn't played every day since 2017, and he's a big batting average liability, failing to hit above .223 each of the last two seasons. Then again, we're here for the power, and he's still got it. Bruce clubbed 26 homers in just 310 at-bats in 2019. That's one home run per every 11.9 at-bats, which would have ranked seventh-best in baseball last season if he had enough at-bats to qualify. Bruce also sported a 13.3% barrel rate, which ranked 11th-best in the National League (min 250 PAs). As the Phillies' primary DH in 2020, Bruce is an underrated power asset.

Josh Naylor, OF, SD
The Padres could go in a lot of different directions at DH given their glut of outfield options, but Naylor is one of the more intriguing names. While a small big-league sample in 2019 (.249/.315/.403 in 279 PAs) didn't do much to help his case, the plate skills Naylor showcased in the minors are worth getting excited about. After putting up nearly identical strikeout (12%) and walk (11.1%) rates in Double-A in 2018, he did it again at Triple A in 2019 (11.9% K rate vs. 11.1% walk rate). Players with that kind of discipline are really hard to find. All told, Naylor batted .314/.389/.547 with 10 homers in 54 Triple-A games in 2019, his first time at the level. Being that he's not a particularly good fit at either first base or the outfield, DH is the perfect spot for him.

Steven Souza Jr., OF, CHC
Like Cespedes, Souza's main hurdle is just staying on the field. Souza missed the entire 2019 season after tearing multiple ligaments in his left knee and managed just 78 games in 2018. However, the 31-year-old has showcased an intriguing blend of power, speed, and high walk rates when on the field. In his most fantasy-relevant season, Souza batted .239/.351/.459 in 148 games with the Rays in 2017, belting 30 homers, stealing 16 bases, and putting up a 13.6% walk rate. Of course, the Cubs could decide to simply slide Kyle Schwarber into the DH role full time and roll with Ian Happ, Albert Almora, and Jason Heyward in the outfield. That said, according to some metrics, Schwarber greatly improved his outfield defense last year, so that could convince the Cubs to go another route and give Souza some DH time in 2020. For now, consider Souza in the late rounds of deep formats, especially OBP leagues.

Edwin Rios, 1B, LAD
We're admittedly digging a bit deep with this one, but Rios has been creating some buzz around Dodgers camp and could very well work his way onto the Opening Day roster. He's already clubbed three homers in intrasquad action, including one off Clayton Kershaw. If Rios has one standout tool, it's his huge raw power, and he put that on display in 2019 by batting .270/.340/.575 with 31 dingers in 104 games at Triple-A Oklahoma. He also held his own across three separate big-league stints last season, hitting .277/.393/.617 with four homers in 56 plate appearances. The Dodgers certainly aren't starving for DH options, as they have one of the deepest rosters in baseball, but Rios is a name to tuck away in case he forces the issue.

-Mike Sheets