When interleague play begins to roll around, you must remember a few important pitching factors.  The addition or loss of the designated hitter can make a tremendous difference in production, so you should consider adjusting your lineups accordingly – particularly if you are in a weekly head-to-head league.

American League pitchers start drooling when they begin to think about facing a pitcher instead of a designated hitter, and rightfully so.  This is a big advantage for your American League starters for a variety of reasons.  First, and most obvious – it’s a pitcher!  Even though the DH isn’t what it used to be, a regular hitter is fathoms better than a hurler.  Also, the composition of the opposing lineup entirely changes.  The pitcher can throw less and produce a more efficient start deep into the game.

When AL teams play at home, they often face NL teams that rollout a “DH-light” type of hitter.  When I see the Giants start Matt Downs in the designated hitter slot instead of someone like, say, Vladimir Guerrero, it becomes obvious that NL teams are ill-equipped to handle the extra hitter.

On the flip side, National League hurlers might get a little queasy as they roll into an American League ballpark.  Facing a legitimate hitter, rather than what amounts to a “gimme-out” with the pitcher, can affect the entire game plan.  They have to work harder, pitch more, and eventually become vulnerable to mistakes. 

When a National League team is home for interleague play, NL pitchers attain no real edge.  In fact, they might still lag behind considering AL rosters generally offer more offensive production that the Senior Circuit.

I’m not saying you should blindly start all visiting AL pitchers and bench all away NL pitchers during interleague play – use your judgment.  But, I certainly take more than a cursory glance, and I might pull the trigger and sit a pitcher more often than during the regular season