You’ve heard of a strikeout. You’ve heard of a shutout. But in baseball, there’s another term that can sometimes drum up confusion: the putout. In simplest terms, a putout is what happens when a fielder completes an out themselves. That typically happens in one of four ways: In MLB, the statistics can get confusing. Sometimes they … Read more
The no-hitter is one of the most notable achievements in baseball. A no-hitter can happen on any given night during the MLB season. The phrase, no-hitter, also goes by the phrase no-hit game and a no-n0. A no-hitter occurs when the pitcher does not allow any hitter to reach base via a base hit. However, … Read more
The role of a baseball manager is to know and understand the rules of the game. With pitchers batting in the National League as of 2021, managers need to be familiar with the Double Switch rule. The Double Switch is different from a traditional substitute player taking the spot of another batter, runner, or defenseman, … Read more
Big league pitchers experiment with different ways to throw a ball to deceive hitters and record-outs. Some pitchers rely on a fastball to blow the ball by hitters, while others like off-speed and breaking ball pitches to throw off a hitter’s timing. One type of off-speed pitch that pitchers sometimes throw is a palmball pitch. … Read more
When Mariano Rivera entered the game, chances are New York Yankees fans felt good about their chances of winning. After all, Rivera’s cut fastball was one of the best in the game, and hitters had a hard time squaring the pitch up to make solid contact. With a career Baseball WHIP of 1.00, Rivera’s cutter grip made … Read more
Starting pitchers and relievers are constantly experimenting with different pitch types to get hitters out. Some pitches stick with fastballs and changeups, while others opt for breaking balls. One type of breaking ball pitch that is faster than traditional curveballs is the slurve. So what exactly is a slurve pitch, how do you throw it, … Read more
Today, baseball teams analyze a catcher’s catch stealing (CS) percentage as a measurement metric in run protection. The concept behind a catcher who throws out a high percentage of base stealers does two things. The first is that throwing out a runner adds an out in the inning and takes a baserunner off the diamond, … Read more
The on-deck circle is an area in foul territory near both dugouts for the batter to get ready to hit when they come up at the plate. The on-deck circle area typically has baseball donuts, barrels, a weighted baseball bat, batting gloves, and more, and it tends to either have the home team’s logo or … Read more
Batting practice lets hitters take warm-up swings against live pitching before a game. Since there can only be nine players in the starting lineup, some players will be on the bench, so taking BP before a game keeps their hand-eye coordination and timing fresh for when they might need to come into play. Not only … Read more
A slump in baseball is a phrase that describes a player’s bad performance for an extended amount of time in either hitting, pitching, running, or fielding. A slump can be a combination of fatigue, injury, poor mechanics, bad luck, or confidence issues for a player resulting in lower-than-expected results. Due to the longevity of the … Read more