Secondary Lead
Also known as: secondary, walking secondary, movement lead
The 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.
Unlike the primary lead (taken before the pitch), the secondary lead is a movement that happens as the pitch is delivered. As the pitcher's arm comes forward, the runner takes 2–3 shuffling steps toward the next base. If a ball is hit, the runner is already moving. If the batter swings and misses or takes a strike, the runner pulls back. The secondary lead is more important than many recreational players realise — the difference between a 2-step and a 0-step secondary can be a full second on stolen base attempts or on-contact reads.
Example
Her secondary lead put her in motion before the ball even left the bat — she was rounding second before the outfielder had fielded the single.
Related terms
- Lead Off BaseA lead off base is the distance a baserunner takes from the bag before the pitch — maximising lead distance reduces the distance to the next base while managing pickoff risk.
- Jump (Stolen Base)The jump on a stolen base attempt is how quickly and decisively a runner breaks toward the next base on the pitcher's first movement — the single biggest predictor of stolen base success.
- Baserunning ReadA baserunning read is the split-second decision a runner makes based on what the ball does after contact — whether to advance, hold, or retreat.
- Tag UpTagging 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.
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