The Ultimate Baseball Terms, Definition & Slang Guide

Table of Contents

As a baseball coach, I know baseball fans live and breathe the game from April all the way to October. But many newbies developing an interest in the game have more questions about its vernacular than rules!

Catching a baseball game on T.V. is hardly any fun if you have no idea what the announcer keeps saying. Luckily, you’ve got me to act as interpreter, and that’s why I’ve put together an uber-guide of baseball terminology.

This treasure trove of a glossary is divided into six different categories for easy navigation. All you need to do is pick the one you want and familiarize yourself with the phrases and baseball terms slang. Ready? Batter up!

1. Baseball: Field Area Terms

One of the more fascinating details about baseball is that it’s played on a diamond-shaped field. This section is entirely devoted to naming and explaining different areas of the baseball diamond for folks who’d like to know. 

Click on each one to get more information.

The infield denotes the area starting from the grass line into the home plate. The infield includes all the bases. This is the area where most of the action during a game takes place.

The outfield is the area in between the home run fence and grass line. The distance to the outfield wall can vary from ballpark to ballpark. However, in the show (Major Leagues), the outfield wall is around 350 to 500 feet from the home plate. Generally, the vast area of the outfield is covered by three players. 

Experts consider bases to be the most essential feature of a baseball field. There are a total of four bases on the diamond pitch: the first base, the second base, the third base, and the home plate. The bases are placed in a manner that forms a diamond shape. The distance between each baseball base is 90 feet in Major League Baseball. 

Smack bang in the middle of the infield is the pitcher’s mound. This is where the pitcher can throw pitches from to the hitter in a game. The pitcher’s mound looks like a raised area of dirt (hence the term ‘mound’) and has a pitcher’s plate located in the middle. A pitcher needs to keep his foot on the plate to make a pitch. The pitcher’s plate is approximately 60 feet from the home plate in the Major Leagues.

Situated on either side of the home plate is the batter’s box. The box is rectangular in shape, and batters need to be inside the box when they hit the ball. If a hitter steps on the line or outside the box when they hit the ball, they’re called out. Additionally, a batter needs to get permission from the umpire and call a timeout to leave the batter’s box. In Major League Baseball, the batter’s box measures 4×6 feet.

A catcher’s box is where the catchers are situated during a game. Just like with a batter’s box, a catcher must be in the catcher’s box during a pitch. If the catcher leaves the box or attempts to leave the box before the pitcher throws a pitch – it results in a balk.

The coach’s box is located next to the first and third base (one for each team). A coach can help pass signs to help a hitter or base runner from the coach’s box. While coaches are allowed to leave the coach’s box during a game – they can’t interfere with the game itself. 

Fair and foul lines extend from the first and third base – starting from the home plate and continuing all the way to the outfield. These lines help determine whether a hit is fair or foul. Anything between the foul lines (including the foul lines themselves) is acceptable and fair. Any hit beyond the lines is deemed foul. 

2. Baseball: Pitching Terms and phrases

Pitching is the act of throwing the baseball in the direction of the home plate to kick off a play. There’s no shortage of words when it comes to baseball pitching terms, and pitching phrases can apply to plays, stats, or even certain actions. Here’s a few of them.

Click on each one to get more information.

As the name suggests, this term is reserved for the top pitcher on any team. The ‘Ace’ also happens to be the first pitcher on the rotation.

This term ends up confusing a lot of people. But, it simply stands for the catcher and pitcher from the same team. It’s the shortened version of the term ‘battery mates.’

A backwards K in the scorebook means a strikeout looking. That is if the batter watched strike three go by without taking a swing at it.

A pitcher can perform various illegal actions or motions (according to baseball rules) that constitute a balk. A majority of these ‘balk’ violations consist of a pitcher pretending to pitch without any intention of doing so. A balk will typically result in a delayed dead ball or a dead ball in the United States.

This one’s easy enough. It means curveball.

This one sounds a little rude, doesn’t it? Well, it stands for something rude too. Beaned is the term for when a pitcher throws a pitch to hit the batter – intentionally.

This term signifies a pitch with a downward or sideways movement. A breaking ball can have multiple variations.

A blown save takes place when the relief pitcher (generally the closer) enters the game in a save opportunity and allows the tying score to run – giving up the lead.

There are several variations of changeups, which is basically a slow pitch that’s supposed to look faster.

The closer is the closing pitcher (aka relief pitcher), who’s skilled in the art of getting the final outs when his team is leading.

A pitch that’s thrown high and inside (near a batter’s head) to get them to back off the plate. 

This term’s pretty famous outside of baseball too. A pitch that curves or moves away from the anticipated flight path (toward the home plate) is a curveball.

Also referred to as baseball’s strangest rule, a dropped third strike occurs when the catcher is unable to catch the pitch (the third strike) cleanly. If the ball is dropped right after being caught or if it touches the dirt, it’s considered ‘not cleanly caught.’ After the strike is called and the pitcher gets the strike-out on a dropped third strike, the umpire doesn’t call the batter out by verbally specifying the catcher didn’t catch the ball. 

Framing is a technique employed by the catcher, using subtle wrist and body movements. It’s done to present the pitch to the umpire in such a way that it increases the chances of the pitched ball being called a strike.

As the name implies, a fastball is a pitch that’s supposed to match the speed of the proverbial freight train. Not only are there several variations of fastballs, but it’s also one of the most common pitches in baseball.

Another term for a high-velocity fastball.

Remember when I said the fastball is a popular pitch? Well, heat is also another turn of phrase for a fastball.

The word hanger literally comes from hang – as in a pitch that hangs in the air long enough to make it easy for the batter to take a shot. A hanger is what you’d call a poorly placed pitch that’s also slow-paced.

As a pitcher, you ‘live on the corners’ when you throw pitches that wind up in the inside or outside corners of the home base (or home plate).

Distantly related to the hanger, this term also signifies a pitch that’s ridiculously easy to hit. 

This is somewhat like the closer; only it applies to a relief pitcher that’s brought in to play during the middle innings.

Rarely ever witnessed on the Major League level of play. A game’s referred to as a no-hitter where one doesn’t manage up any hits.

Refers to a pitcher standing on the pitcher’s mound.

A pitcher ‘pitches around’ when he deliberately throws pitches that are slightly outside of the strike zone, intending to walk the batter by making him swing wildly at the pitch. 

A home plate is outlined on all five sides with a thin black line (or strip). A pitcher is said to ‘paint the black’ when he consistently pitches the ball over the corner(s) of the home plate for a strike. 

Another term for ‘strikeout.’

A pitcher brought in to replace the starting pitcher due to a high count, injury, or poor performance. Typically, relief pitchers stand ‘on the bump’ (pitching mound), located at the infield’s center and around 60-feet away from the home plate. 

A not so polite term to describe a pitcher who can’t throw too many pitches without getting tired. 

A relief pitcher brought in before the ‘closer.’

A pitch that’s somewhere in between a curveball and a slider. 

A baseball slang term generally used for a left-handed pitcher. 

A pitching position often used when there are base runners on first/second base. The ‘stretch’ motion is relatively quicker and allows runners less time to steal bases. 

A pitch where the ball seems to start from below the waist. The pitcher releases the pitch just above the ground, with his torso bent at almost a right angle. 

3. Baseball: Batting Terms

In baseball, batting or hitting is the act of facing the other team’s pitcher. A batter’s foremost goals are: to be a baserunner, to aid runners along the bases, and to hit drives to help runners home. The field manager sets the batting order prior to the game in Major League Baseball. As far as batting terms are concerned, I’ve lined up some of the more popular baseball terms slang you can use for stats, actions, and even situations. 

Click on each one to get more information.

This phrase is easy to remember. It’s used to describe who out of the batter or pitcher is leading in the count. For example, the pitcher leads if there are more strikes because he has a bigger chance of striking the batter out.  

A baseball statistics term. A batter is attributed with a base hit (indicated by an H) when he passes (or reaches) first base without any error after hitting the ball into the playing area between two foul lines. 

When the batter hits the pitch with the sweet spot of the baseball bat (the area that lies in between 4 to 7 inches of the baseball bat).

A batter will generally do a bat flip to flex or taunt the other side after hitting a home run. The bat flip involves throwing the baseball bat, so it revolves a few times vertically before landing on the ground.

When the batter hits a single.

The opposite of ‘ahead in the count.’ This term can be used for the batter or pitcher to signify whoever is behind in the count. For example, the batter is behind when there are more strikes as opposed to balls.

A ground ball hit without much power behind it that heads for a base hit.

The yin to Bleeder’s yang. The term is used for a powerhouse of a hit. 

The word ‘fly’ is sometimes used to describe things that are hard to catch. In baseball, the big fly indicates a home run.

Yet another colorful term for a home run. 

Similar to a bleeder. A blooper is a hit without much power in it – that falls mostly between outfielders and infielders.

The act of deliberately tapping the ball instead of swinging at it. Batters will resort to a bunt in order to help out a base runner.

When the batter faces the third strike without taking a swing at the ball, he’s ‘caught looking.’

A term for when the batter moves his hand from the knob end of the baseball bat to achieve more control. A batter will typically ‘choke up’ with two strikes against him already. 

This motion occurs where the batter starts to swing but ‘checks’ the movement by allowing the ball to pass by the bat. If the swing is checked, the ball doesn’t touch the bat and doesn’t go through the strike zone – the pitch is taken to be a ball. But if a swing occurs, the pitch is counted as a strike. 

Used to describe what happens after a batter hits a home run. A player can ‘clear the bases’ of his teammates by making a big hit and sending them home. Clearing the bases will typically appeal more to positive offensive players as opposed to defensive players who wouldn’t want their efforts to produce runs for the opposition. 

The act of inserting a cork, rubber, or elastic material with the core of the bat’s wooden barrel. All this is done to make the bat lighter and result in a quicker swing – but it’s illegal to do so as per Major League Baseball rules. 

The exact count of strikes and balls a batter has. 

A powerful hitter who generally makes an appearance as the fourth batter in the order of batting. 

Home run

A common phrase yelled at batters when a pitch hits them. The opposite of ‘rub some dirt on it.’

When the batter expects (or awaits) a fastball coming his way. 

When the batter remains in the batting stance until the very last moment before the pitch nears the plate and then swiftly bunts the ball for a base hit.

As the phrase suggests, finding a gap involves getting a base hit by knocking the ball in a gap between outfielders. 

The same as ‘finding a gap.’ The only difference being – the ball is knocked between infielders. 

When the batter hits the baseball up high in the air.

When the batter takes a swing at a pitch that’s not inside the strike zone, they’re going ‘fishing.’

A light baseball bat with a skinny barrel. The coaches utilize a fungo bat to practice hitting fly balls or ground balls during practice.

This phrase is dreaded by most batters, and for a good reason. It’s when the batter’s unlucky enough to strike out four times in a game. 

This is when the batter takes a swing at a particularly low pitch, one that’s in the dirt. Unsurprisingly the action looks more like it belongs on a golf course.