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Baseball Glossary
Learn the language of Baseball — answer-first definitions with real examples, beginner to pro.
273 terms
- Pre-Pitch Rhythm (Bat Waggle)BeginnerYes, a little movement before the pitch helps most hitters. A small bat waggle, a gentle rock or a soft hand pump keeps your body loose. It is easier to start a swing from motion than from a dead stop. Keep the movement small and make sure it flows into your load on time.
- Pregame Hitting Warm-UpBeginnerWarm up to hit in stages. Start with light jogging and dynamic moves for the hips, trunk and shoulders. Then take easy dry swings that build to full speed. Finish with tee or toss swings, and some timing work against a pitcher or machine if you can. Aim to take your first at-bat already loose and on time.
- Productive OutIntermediateA productive out is an out that still helps the team. It might advance a runner, score a run, or move a runner into scoring position.
- Projectable FrameIntermediateA projectable frame is a lean, usually tall young body with room to add strength and size. Scouts expect that growth to bring power, velocity, or bat speed.
- Pull Side HittingIntermediatePull-side hitting drives the ball to left field for a right-handed batter, or to right field for a left-handed batter. It comes from early contact and usually carries the most power.
- Pulling the Ball FoulBeginnerHitting the ball hard but foul to the pull side usually means contact is too far out in front. The swing starts early, the front shoulder opens too soon, or the hitter is trying to pull an outside pitch. Let the ball travel a little deeper, keep the front side closed longer and aim for the middle of the field.
- Push Bunt (Baseball)IntermediateIn baseball, a push bunt is a bunt you send firmly past the pitcher instead of deadening it. Show the bat late, then firm your arms and steer the ball toward the hole on the right side of the mound. It works best when the corner infielders charge hard or the defense plays deep.
- Quality At-BatBeginnerA quality at-bat is judged by process and competitiveness, not just outcome. A long count, a hard-hit ball, a walk, or moving a runner can count without a hit.
- Quick PitchAdvancedA quick pitch is a pitcher delivering the ball before the batter is set and ready in the box. It is an attempt to catch the hitter off guard that is illegal at most levels of play.
- Range FactorAdvancedRange factor is a traditional defensive stat: putouts plus assists per game (or per nine innings). It roughly estimates how much ground a fielder covers.
- RBI OpportunityBeginnerAn RBI (run batted in) opportunity is a plate appearance with a runner in scoring position (second or third base). The hitter has a real chance to drive in a run.
- Reading a HopIntermediateReading a hop is judging early where a ground ball's bounce will arrive. The fielder can then set footwork and glove angle before the ball gets there, not after.
- Reading the Ball off the BatAdvancedReading the ball off the bat is judging a batted ball's path, speed, and landing spot just after contact. It uses bat angle and early flight, not the full arc.
- Recruiting Metrics and Video for HittersIntermediateThe numbers most often measured for hitters are exit velocity, 60-yard dash time and throwing velocity from your position. Showcases such as Perfect Game time the 60 with lasers and radar every throw from the infield, outfield and catcher's spot. Coaches use those numbers alongside video and game performance.
- Relay ThrowIntermediateA relay throw breaks one impossible outfield throw into two makeable ones. An infielder runs out to take the first leg, then turns and throws the second.
- Release PointIntermediateRelease point is the precise spatial location in front of the body where the pitcher lets go of the ball — consistency here is the foundation of command.
- Rolling OverIntermediateRolling over is a swing fault where the top hand rotates over the bottom hand too early. It closes the barrel through contact, causing weak pull-side grounders.
- Rotational AccelerationAdvancedRotational acceleration is a swing-sensor metric for how quickly the bat accelerates into the swing plane early in the swing. It is reported in g's. One sensor maker lists an MLB average of 17 g and calls 15 g or more high. It reflects how well the body, not just the hands, starts the swing.
- Rotational HittingIntermediateRotational hitting is a swing model powered mainly by hip and torso rotation, not forward weight shift. It is the dominant power model in modern baseball.
- Running Through First BaseBeginnerOn a ground ball, run hard through first base instead of slowing down or sliding. Touch the front of the bag and keep sprinting a few steps past it. The rules let a batter-runner overrun first and come back without being tagged out, as long as he returns right away and makes no attempt to run to second.
- Sacrifice BuntBeginnerA sacrifice bunt trades the batter's own out to advance a runner into scoring position. It is a situational strategy, not an attempt to reach base safely.
- Sacrifice FlyBeginnerA sacrifice fly is a fly ball out, hit deep enough to the outfield. It allows a runner on third base to tag up and score after the catch. It does not count as an official at-bat and does not hurt the hitter's batting average.
- Scouting Report (Player)IntermediateA scouting report is a written evaluation of a player. It grades their tools, describes current skill and physical projection, and gives a future outlook.
- Seam-Shifted Wake (SSW)ProSeam-shifted wake (SSW) is an airflow effect where off-center seams disturb the air unevenly. It causes movement that spin rate or axis alone can't predict.
- Secondary LeadIntermediateThe secondary lead is the movement a baserunner takes as the pitch crosses the plate. A walking step or shuffle that adds momentum toward the next base the moment contact is made.
- Short HopIntermediateA short hop is a ball caught the instant it rises off the dirt. It is usually the most reliable point of the bounce, since the ball has had no room to deviate.
- Showcase EventIntermediateAt a showcase event, players all do the same drills and tests for college recruiters or pro scouts. It is separate from any regular game.
- Sitting on a Pitch (Hunting a Fastball)IntermediateSitting on a pitch means looking for one pitch type or location and swinging only if you get it. Many hitters sit on the fastball early in the count and take anything else. It works best when the count favors the hitter or the pitcher has a pattern. With two strikes, most hitters widen their plan.
- Situational HittingIntermediateSituational hitting is matching a hitter's approach to the count, outs, and runners. Swing decisions, target, and aggressiveness change rather than staying fixed.
- Slash Bunt (Fake Bunt and Swing)IntermediateA slash, or fake bunt and swing, is when a hitter shows bunt to pull the infield in, then pulls the bat back and takes a short, chopping swing. The goal is to hit the ball hard on the ground past the charging corner infielders. It works best when the defense is sure a sacrifice bunt is coming.
- SlideBeginnerA slide is the controlled fall a baserunner uses to reach a base beneath a tag, to kill momentum at the bag, or to avoid a collision with the fielder covering it.
- SliderIntermediateThe slider is a breaking ball with lateral movement and some downward tilt, faster than a curveball and usually sharper in its late break.
- Slugging PercentageBeginnerSlugging percentage is total bases divided by at-bats. A single counts one base, a double two, a triple three and a home run four. It measures how much damage a hitter does per at-bat. Walks and hit-by-pitches are not counted.
- Soft TossBeginnerSoft toss is a hitting drill where a partner kneels off to the side, a little ahead of the hitter, and flips the ball underhand into the hitting zone. The hitter drives it into a net. It adds a moving ball without real pitch speed. The partner must stay clear of the bat and the ball's path.
- Spin Rate (Pitching)AdvancedSpin rate is how fast the ball rotates in revolutions per minute (RPM) after leaving the hand — higher spin amplifies the Magnus effect and increases pitch movement.
- Splitter / ForkballAdvancedThe splitter is an off-speed pitch gripped with the fingers spread across the seams. This produces late diving action that generates weak contact or swings below the zone.
- Spray AngleIntermediateSpray angle is the horizontal direction the ball travels off the bat — pull side, up the middle, or opposite field — determined by when in the swing the barrel meets the ball.
- Squared-Up RateAdvancedSquared-up rate measures how close exit velocity comes to the theoretical max for that swing and pitch. It tracks contact precision, not raw bat speed.
- Squeeze Play (Bunt)AdvancedA squeeze play is a called bunt to score a runner from third. The runner goes on the pitch in a suicide squeeze, or once the bunt is down in a safety squeeze.
- Squish the Bug (Back-Foot Action)Beginner'Squish the bug' is an old youth cue to pivot the back foot as if grinding out a bug. Many coaches now call it a myth when taken literally, since spinning in place can keep weight stuck on the back leg. A better aim is to push off the back side so the heel rises and the hips turn toward the pitcher.
- Staying Connected (Hitting)IntermediateStaying connected means the hands and bat turn with the body instead of working on their own. The lead elbow stays near the chest, and the barrel lags behind the hands until the hips and shoulders bring it through. A disconnected swing usually shows up as the hands casting away from the body or the barrel dragging late.
- Stealing BasesIntermediateTo steal more bases, win the race before you start sprinting. Take a lead you can safely get back from, learn each pitcher's first move to the plate, and go the instant he commits home. Push off with a quick first step, run straight at the bag without looking back, and slide early to the side away from the tag. In Little League Majors and younger, runners cannot leave until the pitch reaches the batter, so the jump comes from reading the pitch instead.
- Stepping in the BucketBeginnerStepping in the bucket means the front foot strides away from the plate instead of toward the pitcher. For a right-handed hitter it steps toward third base, and for a lefty toward first. It opens the front shoulder and hips early and leaves outside pitches out of reach. Fix it by striding toward the pitcher and dealing with any fear of the ball behind it.
- Strength Training for Bat SpeedIntermediateStrength training can raise bat speed by building the legs, hips and trunk that drive the swing. Many programs pair basic lifts such as squats, hinges and presses with rotational medicine-ball throws done at full speed. Young athletes should learn form with light loads under qualified supervision.
- Stride (Batting)BeginnerThe stride is the small forward step or toe-tap the hitter takes to trigger timing. It is a timing mechanism, not a source of power, and must be soft and directional.
- Strike ZoneBeginnerThe strike zone is the three-dimensional region over home plate where a pitch must pass to be called a strike. Under MLB rules it runs from just below the kneecap up to the midpoint between the batter's shoulders and the top of the uniform pants.
- Strikeout RateIntermediateStrikeout rate (K%) is the percentage of plate appearances that end in a strikeout — elevated K% reduces a hitter's value by eliminating batted-ball outcomes entirely.
- Sweeper (Pitch)IntermediateA sweeper is a type of slider that breaks much more sideways than a regular slider. MLB's glossary says the average sweeper breaks about 15 inches horizontally, compared with about 6 inches for a typical slider. It is usually thrown slower than a regular slider, often with side spin, and it is hard to square up.
- Sweet Spot PercentageIntermediateSweet spot percentage is the share of a hitter's batted balls launched between 8 and 32 degrees. MLB's Statcast uses that band because it covers line drives that become hits and fly balls that go for extra bases. It measures launch angle only, not how hard the ball was hit.
- Swing DecisionsIntermediateSwing decisions are the choice a hitter makes on every pitch to swing or take. A good decision is a swing at a pitch you can hit hard, or a take on one you can't, even when the result goes badly. Better decisions come from a plan for each count, early pitch recognition and knowing your own strong zones.
- Swing LengthAdvancedSwing length is how far the barrel travels from the start of the swing to contact. A shorter path generally needs less time, at some cost to peak bat speed.
- Swing Path TiltAdvancedSwing path tilt is the angle of the bat's path compared with the ground, measured over the last 40 milliseconds before contact. Statcast puts the MLB average at about 32 degrees, with hitters ranging from about 20 to 50. A higher number means a steeper, more vertical swing plane.
- Swing Power (Sensor Metric)AdvancedSwing power is a sensor metric for the average power a hitter puts into the bat during the swing, reported in kilowatts. It combines the bat's effective mass, bat speed at impact and how quickly the bat accelerates on the downswing. Swinging a heavier bat faster raises it.
- Swinging Down on the Ball (Coaching Cue)Intermediate'Swing down on the ball' is an old cue. Taken literally, a downward bat meets the ball for only a short moment and produces ground balls. Pitches arrive on a slightly falling line, and most hard contact comes from a barrel rising slightly at contact. The cue can still help as a feel for a hitter who loops under the ball.
- Switch HittingIntermediateSwitch hitting means batting left-handed against right-handed pitchers and right-handed against lefties. The aim is to always face pitchers from the other side, where breaking balls move toward you and the release point is easier to see. It doubles the swings a hitter needs. It suits players willing to train both sides for years.
- Switching to a Wood BatIntermediateA wood bat has a smaller sweet spot and less pop than a metal bat. Mishits sting and go nowhere, and pitches off the handle can break it. To adjust, take regular swings with wood, focus on squaring the ball on the barrel and get the barrel out in front on inside pitches. Pick a length you can control.
- Tag UpBeginnerTagging up means a baserunner returns to and touches their current base as a fly ball is caught, then takes off toward the next base — the legal method of advancing on a caught fly.
- Taking Pitches (Take Sign)BeginnerTake a pitch when it is outside your zone, when it is not the pitch you are looking for early in the count, or when your coach gives the take sign. Taking good pitches early can work the count in your favor. With two strikes, widen your zone and protect the plate instead.
- Tee-Ball HittingBeginnerTee-ball hitting is about simple basics and fun. Set the tee about belt high and a little in front of the child's front hip. Stand the child far enough away that the barrel reaches the ball, and teach a balanced stance and a hard, level swing. Keep sessions short and praise effort and contact over form.
- Texas Leaguer (Bloop Hit) and Other Hitting SlangBeginnerA Texas Leaguer is a soft, looping fly ball that drops in for a hit between the infielders and the outfielders. It is also called a bloop or a blooper. It counts as a hit just like a line drive. Two other common terms: a walk-off ends the game, and a frozen rope is a hard line drive.
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